Playing the Part
by shrk-bait
Summary: Hogwarts presents Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with James Potter and Lily Evans as the leading roles. Can they find the true spirit of romance in and out of the play, or will Hogwarts never see love between its own Romeo and Juliet? [HIATUS]
1. Confrontations

**Summary:** Hogwarts presents Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_, with James Potter and Lily Evans as the leading roles. For the sake of the entire production, they are forced to cope with their seemingly endless list of differences. Can they find the true spirit of romance in and out of the play, or will Hogwarts never see love between its own Romeo and Juliet?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Harry Potter. Darn! It all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, who totally and completely deserves it. This is just going to be a general blanket disclaimer because I am terribly lazy and do not feel like recopying in each and every chapter. So, now that we've established that it is not mine, you may continue reading. Much love and adoration to everyone who does.

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

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**Chapter 1: Confrontations**

_Love is simple. It's human beings who are complicated._ -- Colyn Bulthaup

* * *

"James Potter! I swear . . . once I find you, you're_ dead_!" a sharp voice rang in the wee hours of the morning bouncing off the stone walls leaving an ominous echo resounding through the practically empty common room.

An irate red-head leaped down the spiral staircase, messily clad in her wrinkled school uniform. Almond-shaped pools of emerald dangerously scanned the room for a certain insufferable git, otherwise known as James Potter. Her fist unclenched, as she came across a few distraught second-years, fully aware of what she was capable of when she was angry.

Not to be discouraged by the lack of Potter's presence, she marched swiftly across the common room and bounded up the staircase, identical to the one she had just descended.

"Potter, if you don't get your arse out here . . ." she warned, her eyes glinting maliciously.

She paused, awaiting some type of reaction from the closed doorway. Receiving none, she groaned, cursed inwardly, and pushed up the sleeves of her robe.

Grabbing the brass handle, she flung the door open, only to reveal what was supposed to be a room.

Instead, she walked into what seemed to her, an alien landscape. The barely-there floor was littered with stray candy wrappers, piles of crumpled clothes, and who knows what else.

"Ugh. You guys are _disgusting_." She muttered underneath her breath.

"Lily Evans. Nice to see you. What brings you here so early this morning?" a voice called from one of the beds.

Looking around, Lily caught sight of a young rogue, one of Hogwarts' resident heartthrobs – Sirius Black.

"Oh, you know. I just _love_ to barge into a filthy room in the boys dormitories every now and then, just for fun." Lily responded sarcastically.

She noted that he looked remarkably handsome, considering he had just woken up. He sleepily rubbed his eyes and grinned cockily at her, pointing to a nearby bed.

"I think _that_ is who you're looking for." He smirked.

Lily didn't bother to thank him. She made her way next to the bed, avoiding the mess on the floor with extreme caution.

She threw open the curtains and with a flick of her wand, sent a wave of ice-cold water upon the sleeping figure.

"Damn it, Evans! Have you no respect for the sacred institution of sleep?" James Potter sat up on his bed, which was soaked.

He ruffled his matted hair and blindly scrambled for his glasses, lying on the bedside table.

"Give it back. I know you took it, Potter." Lily stated in a business-like manner.

"Took what? Why would I ever take anything of yours? How could you possibly accuse me of something like that?"

He gestured disbelievingly, his eyes wide and innocent looking.

"Cut the crap, Potter. My charms essay, if you must be so annoyingly dense. I spent four hours finishing that, so you better return it if you don't want to get on my bad side."

"You mean, I'm not on your bad side already?" he mocked testily.

She sent him a deathly glare and tapped her foot impatiently, the grip on her wand tightening. He noticed this and sprung up off the dripping mattress to grab his wand.

With a swish of his wand, Lily's essay materialized, floating right in front of James' face.

She swiftly walked over and grabbed it. Leaning closer so only he could hear, she muttered, "Already on my bad side, Potter? You have **no **idea."

The tone of her voice was icy and menacing, and the look she shot him was equally alarming.

"Tootles, Evans!" Sirius called from his bed.

Immediately, her face shifted to a friendly smile as she nodded goodbye to Sirius. In an instant, her warm, inviting grin morphed into a distasteful sneer, focused purely at the form of James Potter. With that, she stalked off, leaving the boys in a state of dazed silence.

"Argh! Evans is so . . . infuriating!" he muttered moments after Lily had left, performing a drying spell on his bed.

"Like I told you, Prongs my boy. I think you may have found your equal." Sirius teased.

"Ha! Evans? My equal? I highly doubt that. She'll _never_ measure up to Potter standards." He replied haughtily, an arrogant look on his face.

"And that's exactly the thinking that got you doing a jig on the dining tables, singing off-key in Potions class, pushed into the lake . . ." another voice chimed in. "Need I go on?"

Turning around, James saw Remus Lupin emerge from the bathroom, donned in Hogwarts robes with a wise look upon his face.

"Okay, okay. I get the point. I still say she's a bothersome wench who can't take a joke." James insisted stubbornly, pouting.

Remus and Sirius both glanced at each other, snickering. James, on the other hand, did not think that it was funny at all and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What happened? Who's there? Where's the fire?" another boy sprang into a sitting position on his bed, his eyes wide open.

Remus glanced over at him and strolled out the door, shaking his head in shame.

"Just go back to sleep, Peter." Sirius sighed, rolling his eyes.

Shrugging, Peter Pettigrew slumped his shoulders and fell back onto his bed, completely unaware of the events that had taken place earlier that morning.

* * *

The Great Hall was alive with the students eating (naturally), leafing through the Daily Prophet, catching up on the latest gossip, and in Lily Evans' case, complaining about what an ass her fellow Head Boy, James Potter, was.

"He's so arrogant. What an ego he has. I honestly don't know how he manages to stand, let alone walk. I have absolutely no idea why Dumbledore chose him to be Head Boy." She grumbled, violently spearing the leftover eggs on her plate.

"Who knows with Dumbledore. They say he's the greatest wizard of all time. Not that I doubt that, but they also say there's a fine line between genius and insanity." A pretty fair-haired girl next to Lily replied.

"Kira, do you suppose there is _some_ promise for the future, _some_ depth to James Potter that Dumbledore sees, and that I've always missed?" Lily asked herself, more than Kira.

Kira remained mute, but followed Lily's gaze to the far side of the Great Hall, where the Marauders were cruelly taunting a far-from-innocent Slytherin with dark greasy hair and an unsightly hooked nose.

"No," Lily reasoned. "There must not be one decent bone in Potter's body."

"Oh, come on Lily. You can't say that! He can't be _that_ bad." A voice insisted from behind her.

The brunette took a seat on the other side of Lily and brushed back her dark locks with the swipe of a hand. She stared, awaiting Lily's answer as she slathered thick syrup on her fresh Belgium waffle.

"Charlotte. Look at them. They're torturing Severus Snape for absolutely no good reason. They haven't changed one bit." Lily fumed, her eyebrows furrowed and the need to give them a piece of her mind nagging at her conscience.

Her eyes narrowed and darkened as Potter let out a triumphant laugh. The pair of them – Potter and Black – had managed to trip Snape, sending him sprawling onto the stone floor.

And they had the nerve to laugh. Furthermore, the majority of students witnessing the brutality before them did nothing to restore justice.

The supremacy of the Marauders extended far throughout the school. And Lily couldn't stand it any longer. Her hand clenched into a tight fist.

"I'm stopping this. They're out of line – again." She said decidedly as she rose from the table.

Kira and Charlotte watched her retreating figure swoop down upon the boys.

"Get ready for early morning entertainment." Kira muttered.

"She's going to go off the deep end again. You _almost_ have to feel sorry for Potter and his goons." Charlotte added thoughtfully.

Kira sent her a skeptical look, her left eyebrow cocked above her other.

"I said '_almost'_." Charlotte clarified, smirking.

* * *

"Prongs." Remus whispered urgently.

"Not now, Moony. I'm just about to kick _Snivellus_ while he's down." James chortled, sneering down at Snape, who was desperately rummaging around for his fallen wand.

"But Prongs . . ." Remus repeated, trying desperately to be subtle.

"Give us a sec, Moony! We're just getting to the good part. You know, the part where Snivellus runs and Prongs and I hunt him down like the scum he is." Sirius replied, not taking his eyes off Snape.

"OY! LILY EVANS IS HEADING OVER HERE AND SHE DOESN'T LOOK TOO HAPPY." Remus yelled, the irritation apparent in his voice.

"Damn. Why must Evans bother us? Could Dumbledore have chosen a more frustrating Head Girl?" James cursed quietly, so only their small group could hear.

Sirius groaned, grabbing at the collar of Snape's robes and hoisting him up from the ground.

"Okay, Snivellus. You're off the hook for now, but if we catch you calling another Gryffindor, or anyone else, a _m-mudblood_ . . ." Sirius threatened, his mouth barely able to form the words. "You'll wish you'd never met Sirius Black."

Sirius forcefully thrust Snape towards the exit of the Great Hall. The Slytherin scurried off muttering curses beneath his breath, while the Marauders straightened themselves out and prepared to face the wrath of Lily Evans.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing, Potter?" she hissed, addressing him personally.

"I honestly have no clue what you're talking about, Evans. We were just enjoying some good old-fashioned entertainment this fine morning." He responded coolly.

"Do you really think I'm _tha t_daft? Don't answer that . . ." she snapped, as he opened his mouth to let out some cocky comeback. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"Relax, Evans. Breathe. Don't get your knickers in a bundle." Sirius butted in, valiantly trying to take some of the slack off of James.

"Relax? Breathe? How can I do that when I'm Head Girl and I'm supposed to be keeping everything in order and making sure that students don't get into more trouble while the Head Boy, who is supposed to be doing the same thing is torturing another student simply because '_he exists_' in the oh-so-unforgettable words of the biggest prat of earth, James Potter." She said in one breath.

"Like I said, BREATHE. You're much too uptight."

"I'd say I have a good enough reason to be, don't you think?"

"And the reason would be?"

"All of the aforementioned."

"Oh. Right. Good point. Look at it this way, Evans. At least you don't have to deal with _me_as Head Boy. Could you imagine how much worse it would be?"

"I shudder at the very thought. You'd make a horrible Head Boy, not that Potter is really any improvement."

"Precisely, so what say you lay off my best friend and be thankful it's not _me_ standing next to you during Prefect meetings?"

"Hm . . . nice try, but I don't think so."

Sirius turned his head to James, who was scowling at Lily for interrupting the morning.

"I tried, mate. Honestly, I did." Sirius announced, dejected.

"That's alright. Everyone _knows_ that Evans has to have everything perfect." James replied coolly, his volume magnified so as to reach the ears of a certain Head Girl not so far away. "She's just angry because she has no control over me."

As expected, she stormed over and placing her hands vehemently on her hips, began telling off James, who was clearly not listening.

Yes, it was yet another morning for Hogwarts – an amusing confrontation from the Head students on display approximately half-way through breakfast as usual.

Suddenly, Dumbledore's voice rang throughout the Great Hall. His deep tones got the attention of every student in the hall and silence immediately ensued.

"Eh hem. Will the Head Boy and Girl please follow me to my office? Immediately."

With that, James stared at Lily inquisitively, which Lily simply ignored.

She walked out of the enormous doors and headed towards Dumbledore's office, James following a few feet behind.

* * *

"Wonderful. You're both here!" Dumbledore greeted. He picked up a candy dish and held it out in front of the both of them. "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you, sir." Lily declined politely, her back the epitome of good posture.

"Erm . . . no, that's okay." James mumbled, leaning back slightly in the chair.

The contrasting positions of the Head Students were merely a taste of the conflict between the pair. Noting this, Dumbledore devised his own ingenious plan to sew the tears threatening Hogwarts' apparent lack of unity, starting with the Head boy and girl.

"Well, what I wanted to inform you, was the fact that Hogwarts is having a feast for the Minister of Magic and some of my colleagues at the end of the semester."

"Right. Hogwarts' First Ever Gala Dinner in honor of Aremus Diggle, Minister of Magic. You told us, well _me_, before."

"Quite right you are, Miss Evans. Well, it just so happens that the Minister is quite fond of what Muggles call '_plays'_."

"Plays?" James asked, still bewildered. "Perhaps you can refresh my memory on the subject of plays, Headmaster."

"It's rather difficult to explain. People act and pretend to be a character, interacting with other characters. It's all written out in a script, which the actors must memorize. They dress up and everything. It's quite nice, actually." Dumbledore explained kindly, his blue eyes twinkling.

"What kind of play?" Lily inquired curiously.

"Well, after much deliberation, the staff has chosen a play that we believe will depict the bonds of friendship and comradery. We believe it will show the evils of jealousy and deceit. Above all things, it will emphasize the strength of love and all that comes with it. What do you think?" he asked excitedly, gazing at each of them, awaiting their reaction.

"Erm . . . okay. But Professor Dumbledore, what play?" Lily asked patiently.

"What else? The classic tale of two tragic lovers, _Romeo and Juliet_."

* * *

**AN:** has been deleting stories for lyrics. I sincerely hope I don't get deleted for quotes. But I just might. I really hope I don't though . . . 


	2. A Crazy Theory

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

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**Chapter 2: Just a Crazy Theory**

_Love is blind. Also psychotic._ **-- **Larraine Lage

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"So, what do you think?" Dumbledore asked, an air of childishness and excitement in his voice.

"Sounds fantastic. Will a student be directing it or a professor?" Lily inquired, clearly interested in the entire concept.

James; however, was somewhat less energized.

"Professor Harris, the Muggle Studies Professor has volunteered to direct. Since you both have taken the course and _should_ be familiar with the play, I was hoping that you would be a part of it."

"Wait . . . part of it? As in, helping-out part of it, or acting-in-the-play part of it?" James blurted out, hanging on Dumbledore's next words.

He said it with an unspoken urgency, his frantic voice betraying the calm, collected persona he had strived to maintain throughout his years at Hogwarts.

Lily smirked. Potter was _afraid_ of more work. _Typical Potter_, she thought.

"Erm . . . both, actually, Mr. Potter. Though she hasn't informed you all, Professor Harris will require the assistance, especially in playing roles, from her current and former students, as well as any others who are willing to participate. I think she said something about applying classroom lessons to life. You will be receiving recognition for your services in the play, which will undoubtedly add to the list of achievements that your future occupational choices will examine in order to see if you are fit for whichever career you choose to pursue. Seeing as how you are both Head students as well as former Muggle Studies students, I was hoping that you would take an active role in this production."

Dumbledore continued on to discuss technicalities with Lily, who was listening attentively to every word he said.

James, on the other hand, having gotten the answer he was looking for, tuned out the Headmaster's voice and settled back into his seat, sitting languidly with his feet stretched out in front of him.

"This is going to be quite a handful of hard work and dedication, especially for you two. I expect you both to help put on a show that Hogwarts would be proud of." Dumbledore pointed out, his gaze lingering longer of James.

"You are both excused. You may discuss further details in at the next Heads meeting, though I do believe that Professor Harris will be gathering all the people who will be involved in the play very soon."

Lily rose, shook Dumbledore's hand and strolled out of the door, down the stone staircase.

"Sounds like a lot of work. Are you sure you can handle it?" Lily mocked, not bothering to look at him while she spoke.

"Of course, Evans." He snapped back, catching up to her and matching her quick pace. "I can handle anything and everything. It's more of whether I am willing to or not."

"Well, let me tell you, Potter, you _better_ be willing to this time." Lily muttered underneath her breath.

They went their separate ways, nodding curtly to each other.

_He thinks he's so great. I just can't stand him_, she thought to herself.

Little did she know that James Potter's thinking as he walked the opposite way, was strangely familiar to hers.

* * *

"She's so . . . full of herself. And she says I'm the egotistical one! Just because I asked her out multiple times a few years back doesn't mean I'm cocky. What is her problem? Any other girl would be flattered, but NO. Evans had to get all . . . insulting. She infuriates me. I have no idea why I was even attracted to her in the first place." James ranted, pacing back and forth.

"Prongs, would you mind sitting down? You're making me dizzy, pacing around wildly and whatnot." Sirius whined, clutching his head in his hands.

"NO, I will _not_ sit down! I can't sit down when I feel like screaming. She's so . . . ARGH! I can't even think of words to describe Evans."

"Unattainably beautiful? Remarkably witty? Incredibly attractive?" Remus offered, looking up from behind his book, _Hogwarts, a History. _

"NO! Evans is _none_ of those things."

"Well, if I recall, that is how you described her in 5th year, right before she shot you down like . . . a bird during hunting season."

"Forget the past, Moony. That was AGES ago. I was young. I was carefree. I was _stupid_."

"It was only a few years ago!" Sirius exclaimed, sitting up from his languid position on the couch. "Wizard's chess anyone?"

"Sure, I'll play. A few years makes a difference, Padfoot. I've grown up and grown out of my feelings for Evans. I don't see why we need to bring it up again. She exasperates me to no end." James declared, motioning dramatically with his hands.

Quite a few minutes of silence passed, only to be broken by James' frustrated groans at the shattering of his chess pieces.

"What about this play you keep mentioning? _Romeo and Juliet_? Sounds like such a bore. Can't believe Harris is actually going to make us pitch in." Sirius muttered, not taking his eyes off the board as he contemplated his next move.

James shrugged, his eyes staring fixedly on the pieces before him, though his mind had wandered far from the Sirius' comment.

"Do you remember listening to her go on about fellytones and please-men and all that a few years ago? Why I took that class in the first place baffles me."

"If I recall correctly, you wanted to 'better understand the mind of a muggle-born', namely Lily." Remus pointed out, chuckling. "Isn't life ironic?"

"Shut it, Moony. Why I was even attracted to her, even in my years of adolescence, confuses me as well. She's such a bother." James retorted sourly.

"If I recall correctly, you thought her cleverness and beauty were intriguing. You have to admit, Prongs. Evans has grown up. She's definitely gotten better looking since your little endeavor in 5th year." Sirius grinned, moving his chess piece across the board. "Checkmate. I win."

He leaped up and began dancing foolishly, a broad grin spread across his face.

"We should talk about Evans more often. You're a terrible chess player whenever we talk about her." Sirius suggested, still giddy with excitement.

"Bollocks. You were lucky." James pouted, crossing his arms across his chest.

Inside, he knew Sirius was right. He always lost whenever they talked about her. Heck, he lost at anything and everything other than Quidditch, even when he thought about her. No need to say, Sirius had quite a long winning-streak in 5th year.

_Bugger, bugger, bugger. _

* * *

"He thinks he's so cool. But he's _not_. He won't even take responsibility for anything he does! He's always making those cocky remarks and flashing that grin of his that's supposed to 'melt a girl's heart'. Well, he doesn't fool me. He's just a smug bastard that thinks he's the king of the world. I can't _stand_ him." Lily fumed, glaring hard at the intricate tiles lining the floor of one of Hogwart's smaller hallways.

"What are you muttering about, Lils? James Potter, I presume?" Charlotte guessed, knowing she was undoubtedly correct.

Lily spun around at the sound of Charlotte's voice. Immediately, her bitter frown became a huge smile at the sight of her two friends.

"What did he do this time?" Kira asked nonchalantly, almost as if she was reciting the phrase.

"Oh, you know. Just the usual. Being a git and whatnot." She replied simply. "He's such a . . . gah! I hate him!"

"Lily, do you realize that these reoccurring declarations of hatred for James take up a rather large amount of our time? Have you ever considered just letting it go?" Charlotte asked, exasperated.

"What? Of course not! How could I possibly let his childish, irresponsibly, annoying antics go?" Lily responded quickly, her face showing slight confusion at Charlotte's comment.

With that, she stormed off to the Gryffindor common room, completely abandoning her previous plan to study in the library.

The remaining pair sighed, watching her retreating figure.

"What are we going to do with her?" Kira asked, massaging her temple.

"No clue. You know what? I don't think she really despises James Potter as much as she lets everybody think. I think she actually has feelings for him, buried deep beneath all that hostility." Charlotte analyzed, thoughtfully rubbing her chin. "You know what they say. Love is blind. Maybe I'm crazy."

Kira stared strangely at her friend, her right eyebrow cocked far above the other.

"You are crazy." She teased, giggling.

* * *

A stout figure strolled into the crowded classroom, her stubby feet moving swiftly beneath her somewhat bulky figure, hidden beneath a loose, worn-out black robe. She tucked back a few of her chestnut-colored stray hairs and rapped her knuckles expertly on the wooden table, demanding attention from the people in the room.

"Many of you have been questioning this rumor that's been going around school. And I'm telling you it is true." Professor Harris announced proudly to the classroom, filled with a large array of students ranging from the youngest 1st year to the oldest 7th year.

"What? You mean Severus Snape really is half-ogre, one-thousandth house elf, and one-eight goblin?" Sirius barked from the back of the classroom.

His comment was followed by howls of laughter from the majority of the classroom, including the rest of the Marauders.

"Actually, I was referring to the rumor that Hogwarts will be putting on its very first play, _Romeo and Juliet_. Now, if you would _kindly_ let me continue . . ."

Sirius grinned cheekily at his friends, who were in the midst of suppressing hysterical laughter. Lily took a moment to roll her eyes before refocusing her attention on the Professor's words.

_Black has always been addicted to attention. What a prat,_ she thought silently.

"Those currently occupying this room have arrived here out of their own free will or are my Muggles Studies students. The play is quite popular, so I won't take the time to explain it to you. Are there any questions?"

"How will you be choosing the roles?" a timid 1st year piped up, her cheeks turning slightly red as eyes all around the room centered on her.

"Good question, Miss Jacobs. We will be holding auditions a month from now. That should give everyone a chance to choose which part they wish to play. I would like to remind _everyone_ that this should be taken seriously. Those who are chosen for a part will be bound to it. No excuses."

The Marauders snorted, apparently having their own separate conversation in the back of the room. Professor Harris glanced upward at the ceiling and muttered something that sounded vaguely like the words 'why me?' before continuing.

"I urge you to pursue a part in this production, rather than simply helping conjure the sets. For those of you who are actually _interested_ in performing and creating life-long memories with your other cast members, I assure you, this experience will be extremely rewarding. For the rest of you," Once again, her eyes narrowed as her vision passed over the four boys in the back corner of the room. "Think of this as an incentive. Actors and actresses will be allowed to miss a few classes that conflict final dress rehearsals. They will also be excused from projects, essays, or other assignments during that time, if they are part of the cast."

As these words left Professor Harris' lips, every student in the room was instantly silent, looking around to make sure they had heard her correctly.

The opportunity to be excused from classes and assignments was a rarity that came along once in a blue moon. Even if it was only a week or so of exemption, the chance was clearly too alluring for the students to pass up.

"Please tell me I wasn't dreaming, Professor. Did you just say that actors will be excused fromassignments and lessons given during the time of final rehearsals?" Sirius inquired, joining the rest of the Marauders as they crossed their fingers beneath the table. "Which is approximately a week?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly, Mr. Black. I have asked all the Professors and they have grudgingly agreed. Though Professor Argos proved to be quite a problem." She muttered thoughtfully.

James turned around in his seat, his arm laid casually upon the desk behind him where Sirius was seated.

"Typical. Argos is such a nutcase." James whispered, referring to their Defense against the Dark Arts professor. "How Dumbledore got him to agree to this is a miracle."

James redirected his attention to the front of the classroom, when a sudden movement of flaming red hair caught his eye.

She turned around in her seat and was quietly conversing with her friends, who were seated behind her. He watched her grin at her friend's comment, eyes twinkling joyfully.

So the Head Girl _wasn't_ paying attention. James made a mental note to mention this to Evans in their next dispute.

Remus' eyes followed James' gaze to Lily and he smiled, noticing what even James had apparently not.

* * *

Lily leaned her head on the palm of her hand, her elbow propped up on the desk. To Lily, Professor Harris' tedious speech about the play was nothing new, seeing as how the Headmaster had already given her most of the details.

"Psst! Lily!" a voice whispered from behind her.

Lily straightened up and scanned the room for the owner of the voice. Careful not to disturb the Professor's explanation, she turned around to see Kira and Charlotte sitting behind her.

"So, Lily, are you going to audition for a part in the play?" Charlotte asked excitedly, her voice still the sound of a whisper.

Lily shrugged, rolling her eyes as the Marauders continued to disrupt Professor Harris' speech.

"C'mon, Lily. You know what character you'd be great as?" Kira asked, eyes wide as a brilliant idea popped into her mind. "JULIET!"

"HA! You must be joking! Me, Juliet? You've really lost it this time."

"Really, Lily! You'd be a _great_ Juliet. Just imagine if Scott Davies was Romeo . . ." Charlotte murmured.

The girls all sighed simultaneously, staring off into space, picturing the charming, not to mention downright handsome, Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain reciting Shakespeare to them on bended knee.

They grinned at each other, holding back their giggles.

"Hmm . . . maybe auditioning for the part of Juliet wouldn't be so bad. I mean, there's no guarantee that I'd get it, but if I did . . ." she carried on, reentering her dreamland. "Wow."

_Romeo's got to be out there somewhere,_ Lily imagined, her typically girly thoughts tearing her away from reality.

* * *

Students spilled out of the classroom, exuberantly chatting about the upcoming play to their friends.

"So, Prongs, plan on auditioning?" Remus asked as they made their way to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Haven't thought about it yet. Since we _have_ to participate, I might as well get a part in the play and get to skip a few classes at the same time . . ." he shrugged, unaware of a trio of girls that were approaching.

"Humph. That's Potter for you. As shallow and predictable as we all thought he was. You really live up to expectations, Potter." Lily smirked scornfully, looking at James with a face of pure disgust.

"You're not welcome here, Evans. So why don't you take your friends and go figure out a way to bother someone else." He retorted, matching the look of detestation on Lily's face.

"Sod off, Potter. We're not here to talk to you; we're here to talk to Remus." Kira snapped, instantly turning to Remus and ignoring the rolling of James' eyes.

"We need you to settle a dispute. Since you're the only _sensible_ one around here," she looked over the other Marauders quickly. "We need you to decide."

She stood on her tiptoes and placed one hand on his shoulder to balance herself.

"Charlotte and I both think Lily should audition for the part of Juliet, but she doesn't think she would be a good Juliet. This is preposterous. Do you agree with us; that she should try out?" Kira released her hold on Remus and looked at him expectantly.

"Of course I agree." He exclaimed, amazed that they would even think he would disagree. Then, he turned to Lily and looked her in the eye. "It would be a shame if you didn't, Lily."

Lily nodded understandingly and sent Remus a look of gratitude for calming her indecisive nerves. His words did little to ease the uncertainty in the pit of her stomach, but at least he had made some sort of attempt.

James was green with envy, glaring jealously at Remus and Lily. Though he wouldn't be caught dead admitting it, it irked him that the three girls considered Remus such a good friend, while considering the rest of them trouble-making gits.

The girls walked off, whispering quietly among themselves.

"Moony, old pal. Feel like filling us in?" Sirius grinned hopefully, curious as to why the girls had addressed only _one_ of the Marauders.

"Erm . . . not particularly. You'll find out soon enough." Remus answered, walking away.

"Moonyyy! Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud! Just tell us why Evans and her friends like you so much. I mean, what's wrong with us?" Peter whimpered, hanging his head.

"There's nothing wrong with us, Wormtail. Evans and her friends are the only girls who don't like us, the majority of us, anyway. Why would you even _want_them to like you? Don't waste your energy worrying about Evans. She's really not worth it." James spat out bitterly, his hazel eyes eyeing Remus skeptically.

"Looks like _someone_ is a little jealous . . . wouldn't you agree, Moony?" Sirius laughed testily.

"I must concur, Padfoot. Seems like Prongs over here is a bit ruffled that Lily doesn't like him." Remus replied tauntingly.

"Shut it, both of you, before I make you. Evans and I have a mutual hate-hate relationship. And I don't intend to change that. You're both loony if you think I would _ever_ want Evans to like me." James growled, storming off moodily.

"Temper, temper. Prongs has _quite_ a temper." Sirius noted, watching James shove a 3rd year Slytherin out of his way.

"I do believe it is only when one, Miss Lily Evans, gets under his skin." Remus added. "This pretty much means that Prongs is in a horrid mood everyday."

* * *


	3. Utterly Exasperating

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Utterly Exasperating**

_When love is suppressed, hate takes its place._ -- Havelock Ellis

* * *

"Can **anyone** show me how to do a bubble-head charm?" Professor Flitwick asked, in an almost pleading voice.

Recent news concerning the play had turned the classroom into a feeding-ground for the latest gossip. To say the least, this meant that few people were actually paying attention to the tiny Professor's lesson.

To Flitwick's surprise, a hand rose slightly over the heads of all the whispering students. He sighed, finally someone knew the answer.

"I can, Professor. Would you like me to perform the charm?" Lily asked as she rose from her seat.

"Please do, Miss Evans." He replied squeakily, gesturing for her to continue.

She brandished her wand, pointed to herself, and recited the correct words in an almost effortless tone.

Flitwick immediately broke into applause and beamed, thankful that at least _one _student had not been too swept up in the play to forget about education.

"Wonderful, Miss Evans. Five points to Gryffindor. Since it is obvious that you are all quite distracted with current developments concerning Professor Harris' production, I propose that we cut lessons short for today. Good luck for all those of you who intend to audition for the play." He declared in his shrill voice, right before the classroom exploded with noise.

"_I can, Professor._" James mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "As if being top of the class in every other class wasn't enough, she insists on being Flitwick's favorite student as well."

"Actually, Potter. I'm not top of the class in every class." Lily stated, scowling at James' imitation of her.

"Oh, go ahead and bury yourself in the ground. You're not the best Hogwarts has to offer. Your life is over now, am I correct?"

"You disgust me."

"Good to know. Now if you would please, Evans. My friends and I were trying to have an intelligent conversation before you rudely butted in."

"Ha! A conversation, perhaps . . . but _intelligent_? Highly dubious. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that we need to tell the Prefects to take down names of people who intend to audition for the play."

"So?" he asked drawlingly.

She glared icily at him. _Typical Potter_, she thought.

"So . . . you are Head Boy. It's your job and I'm not going to do this alone." She muttered through clenched teeth.

"Fine, if it bothers you that much, I will." He agreed grudgingly. "But don't expect me to be this gentlemanly all the time."

"You're joking. God, Potter, you better be joking."

"And if I'm not?"

Lily sent him an icy stare, loaded with implications of annoyance to answer his question.

He glared angrily at her retreating back, right before he felt a hard shove from behind him.

"What did you do now, Potter?" Kira exclaimed, blue orbs flashing dangerously at James.

"Nothing! I did nothing! I _agreed_ to help out, and she just glares at me. Evans is completely mental." He muttered, angrily. "She cannot be pleased."

"You have no idea what Lily's all about, so don't even think you can go ahead and judge her. I'm sure she had reason for being mad. Maybe it's the mere fact that 'you exist'." Kira barked, bumping roughly into his shoulder as she strode past.

"Sorry, Potter, but Kira is right. You don't even really know Lily. She's really easily upset, especially when she feels she's losing control of things. You've known her for nearly 7 years, but in those 7 years, have you ever taken the time to really get to know her?" Charlotte gave James a slightly comforting look and hurriedly rushed out the door. "Maybe you should try that."

"What is the problem? What did I do?" James mumbled, ruffling his hair confusedly.

"Maybe it's the way you agreed. I mean, yes, you agreed, but perhaps it's the comment you made afterwards. She gets overwhelmed with things quite quickly. I suggest learning a bit of tact." Remus asked, as James pretended not to listen.

"Whatever, Moony. I just don't think that I should have to do everything she asks of me with a smile on my face. I have a right to express my opinion, as long as the job gets done." James insisted, stalking out of the classroom. "If that's a crime, go ahead and send me straight to Azkaban."

"If you say so . . ." Sirius muttered, unable to keep up with James' quick pace.

He and Remus watched James push past students and round the corner, throwing up his hands exasperatingly and muttering crazily to himself.

"Oy, Moony. About Evans. You don't think him . . . and her . . ." Sirius asked, gesturing with his hands to the opposite directions in which they had left.

"You bet, Padfoot. It's just a matter of time, I think." Remus cut him off, knowing fully well what Sirius was thinking.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." He muttered to himself. "Can you imagine it, though? The two most temperamental people at Hogwarts. Wonder what kind of psycho their child would turn out to be . . ."

They laughed heartily and headed for the Great Hall to meet up with Peter, who had not received the marks to get into the challenging N.E.W.T Charms class. Unlike the other three Marauders, who had managed to take over three N.E.W.T classes each, Peter's scores were barely enough to allow him to take even one advanced class.

"The kid would have to be decent looking, definitely. It would probably have a massive ego, due to James, of course. At least it'd be a spectacular Quidditch player. Probably a child prodigy, you know. Incredibly intelligent, talented, good-looking, and the like. It would be a miracle to get them together, but bloody hell, would their child be one **hell** of a kid." Sirius chortled, joking.

* * *


	4. Never An Easy Task

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Never an Easy Task**

_The course of true love never did run smooth. _–- William Shakespeare

* * *

A couple of days passed, both Lily and James in a sour mood. 

They barely spoke to each other, only exchanging a couple of words and nods of agreement at Prefect meetings. Lily would brush past James in the hall, emotionless. She wouldn't even scowl or glare at him.

James was no different. Every time anyone mentioned the name 'Lily' or 'Evans', he would stare at them blankly, not bothering to respond. He refused to make peace with her, despite his friends' urgings to do so.

The entire school noticed the tension between them. The Gryffindor dining table was certainly quieter, the students too afraid to upset either the Head Boy or Head Girl. They sat on opposite ends of the gigantic table, never looking up at the other. The professors had noticed this change in conversation level at mealtimes, as well. With auditions for the play fast approaching, they were extremely concerned that the Head Boy and Girl would not be able to cooperate with each other.

"Enough is enough," Dumbledore muttered to Professor McGonagall. "Minerva, you must speak to them both. Seeing as how they are both in your House, you should be able to set the straight, for the sake of the school."

"Right. I completely agree, Albus. This childish dispute has gone on long enough." She nodded understandingly.

She whipped out her wand and pointed to herself, muttering "_Sonorous."_

"Mr. Potter and Miss Evans, will you both report to my office immediately. No excuses from either of you." Her voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, causing both Lily and James to look up surprisingly.

James and Lily rose simultaneously and walked towards the exit, the rest of the school watching them intently.

They reached the door at the same time and stopped dead in their tracks. They glared icily at each other for a moment, right before James swept into a deep bow, extravagantly motioning for Lily to pass through the door. Lily snorted, muttering something that sounded oddly like the words "show off" and quickly strode through the open doors.

"You called for us, Professor McGonagall?" Lily asked, just a hint of impatience evident in her voice, though she hid it well.

"Sit down, both of you." Minerva McGonagall sighed, motioning to the two seats in front of her large oak desk.

Both Lily and James followed orders, though hesitating slightly. They sat in the silence, waiting for McGonagall to continue. Lily fidgeted with a stray piece of hair, while James stared out of the window down at the Quidditch field.

"This feud, this row, this petty argument between you two must cease." She demanded in a threateningly low voice. "For goodness sake. You two are 7th years. Head Boy and Girl, no less!"

"But, Professor . . ." Lily began calmly, preparing to tell her side of the story.

"No buts, Miss Evans. I expected more from the both of you. Auditions for Professor Harris' play are fast approaching and the school is going to need you to pull this off. You'll have to spend much more time working together, not constantly bickering or fighting."

Lily grimaced with the mere thought of having to spend _more_ time with Potter. As if Head duties weren't enough . . .

"You are excused. Please consider what I have said." She said, finally. She watched them sulk out of her office, no doubt, headed for the Great Hall to return to their separategroups of friends.

_Lily Evans and James Potter? Getting along? What is Albus expecting, a miracle? Well, if we manage to go through an entire year at Hogwarts with those two as Heads, it'll be one, _McGonagall thought.

* * *

"Can you believe McGonagall? She wanted me to get along with Evans, knowing full well how much we detest each other!" James told his friends, incredulously. 

"Why exactly was it this time?" Sirius asked nonchalantly as he wolfed down another helping of Yorkshire pudding. "What exactly did you do to her?"

"Bloody hell, Padfoot. I don't even know! For some reason or another, she's furious with me and I've just decided that I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm tired of always being the one to apologize for whatever she _thinks_I did. I am not the wrong one this time. If Evans wants to make peace with me, she's going to have to be the one to come crawling back on her knees. I will not yield." He announced passionately, reaching up to messily run a hand through his hair as a few Ravenclaws from the nearby table giggled at his speech.

"But Prongs, you never really apologize to her. You always end up making it some sort of joke, which makes her even more mad. Then, she eventually drops the matter entirely, as if she _knows_ you'll never be the one to admit you're faults." Peter analyzed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully and staring up at the enchanted ceiling.

"That's absurd, Wormtail." James responded immediately, frowning.

Usually it was Peter – insecure, not so bright, timid Peter – that backed him up 150. Though Peter was far from the brilliance and cunning that James, Sirius, and Remus seemed to have attained so effortlessly, James had always felt some strange need to include him. Eventually, they all became friends, something that surprised all the Hogwarts students – themselves included. No one ever expected him to be in the same group as the most popular boys at Hogwarts, but then again, the Marauders didn't really care about what people expected.

"I don't need to admit my faults to Evans. It's not like she is in any hurry to admit hers to me!" he shouted, tightening his fists and slamming it on the table.

"As true as that may be, you've never really given her any reason to. I mean, when you made her your little conquest in 5th year, you barely knew her. Other than asking her out repeatedly and annoying the hell out of her, you didn't really put in any effort to get to know her. She turned you down dozens of times and you seemed to sort of . . . lose interest. Whether or not you did, is beside the point. From someone else's point of view, especially Lily's, you don't exactly strike someone as the kind of person you can just meet and immediately trust with your deepest secrets. Hate to break it to you, mate, but that's the way it is." Remus explained knowledgably, already backing away as if he could predict James' next action.

"What the hell? Is this Gang-up-on-Prongs day? Some friends you guys are. I will not make a conscious endeavor to make nice with Evans. She's just as cold and cruel to me as I am to her. What's the point of getting to know her, if I know that she is just going to hex me to hell every bloody time I do something even slightly wrong? I know I'm right. And instead of having my back, you three tell me how I should try to establish some sort of truce with Evans, when I know she would _never_ agree to a truce with someone she absolutely hates! Which would be ME, in case you haven't noticed!" he seethed, knocking over a goblet of pumpkin juice, the sticky liquid spreading across the pure white tablecloths.

He swiftly marched out of the room, a brutal scowl fixed on his face.

* * *

Lily blew into the library and slammed her books roughly on the table where her friends were sitting. She was flustered, her heavy breathing causing her chest to rise and fall. 

Madame Pince sent her an admonishing look and returned to helping a 1st year find his lost Charms textbook.

"You okay, Lily?" Kira asked, looking up from the Potions paper she had been vigorously working on before Lily's dramatic entry.

"Of course I'm not okay. McGonagall insists that I work with Potter and that I stop holding a grudge against him." Lily muttered, inwardly cursing the Transfiguration professor.

"What's so bad about that? I mean, I think it's time you two made peace. You've been at each other's throats for almost 7 years! Friends. Why don't you just be f—" Charlotte suggested, only to be interrupted by a furious red-head.

"Charlotte. You can _not_ be serious! Peace? With Potter? Are we talking about the same guy here? The words 'friend' and 'Potter' can not be used in the same sentence. This is the James Potter that glued my uniform to the stool in Potions, stole my homework and charmed it, put a silencing charm on me because I was trying to be a good Prefect, and bribed me into going out with him in 5th year. Not to mention all the other horrid things he's done. Do you honestly think that I can be friends with man, no, a boy who is so immature and egotistical, that if I even _suggest_ a truce, will immediately assume that I've begun to fancy him?" Lily screamed, completely forgetting that she was in the library.

"Um . . . Lily?" Charlotte whispered, her eyes looking around the room.

Lily spun around and realized that every single person in the library had heard her, Head Girl, rant and rage about how much she hated her fellow Head Boy. Not that they weren't already aware of the tension between the two, but Lily had always made herself look like the more mature one, the one who did not actively express her dislike to the entire school. And now, they knew. The seemingly perfect Head Girl, the girl who they thought would never sink to Potter's insulting level, had lost her temper, something that rarely happened in public.

She grinned sheepishly at the gaping students, kicking herself mentally for her folly.

_Damn James Potter_, she cursed to herself.

She desperately grabbed at Kira's arm, pulling her from her papers and motioned for Charlotte to follow them.

"That was smooth, Lily." Kira commented sarcastically, smirking.

"I know, I know! I can't believe I was so loud. I must have seemed like such a horrible person, unworthy of being Head Girl!" she wailed mournfully, covering her face with her elegant hands.

"Lily, it's not that big of a deal! They know how much you can't stand Potter, and who would blame you? He pranked you for 5 years, then just randomly changed his mind and started to pursue you. Then, he just stopped and went back to the hating and the pranking. Fickle, that's what he is. After all he's done to you; I'm surprised you haven't hexed him out of Hogwarts."

"I guess so . . . bloody hell, if only Potter would build up the maturity to sincerely apologize to me, I would have a whole lot more respect for him. Just once, if he really, truly meant it, I might even _consider_ the idea of not completely hating him with every fiber of my being." Lily murmured thoughtfully.

Charlotte and Kira looked at each other, amazed that Lily would take such a calm approach to this. From Lily's next outburst, they clearly thought too soon.

"But NO! James Potter is too high and mighty to apologize to anyone! Too consumed with his stupid hair and his stupid pranks and his stupid group of adoring girls to even bother apologizing. And that's what gets me. He thinks he's God's gift to mankind, when he _clearly_ isn't. Every single time he comes to apologize to me, he makes it some sort of joke. He's never _once_ looked into my eyes and said '_I'm sorry'_. And he probably never will. Potter will never change. He'll never grow up, and thatis what makes him such an insufferable prat." Lily stated firmly.

"Lily, did you ever think that maybe you should give him a chance?" Charlotte asked timidly, knowing exactly what Lily's reaction would be.

"Give him a _chance_? What has he done to deserve one? Nothing. Potter has done absolutely nothing to gain my respect or even my tolerance. Other than being able to effortlessly score high enough marks to take as many N.E.W.T classes as I am, he has done nothing that I would consider impressive."

"C'mon Lily, just think about it. Maybe the reason why he won't be mature and apologize to you, is because he knows it won't do any good. He's really not that bad. It's just that you've already got this mindset of how you view James, and nothing will be able to change that. Unless you forget all the stuff he's done to you, all his immature pranks and insolent insults, he's never going to do anything to gain your respect."

"Whaaat? I do not think like that."

"Are you sure? If James came over here right now and said, '_Lily, I've been an idiot. I'm so sorry for everything I've done. Let's just forget about everything that used to be between us and start anew, please?'_ What would you say?"

"I'd forgive him and shake his hand."

"No you wouldn't." Kira burst in, laughing disbelievingly. "Don't lie, Lily, I heard it can be addicting."

"I would. For the purpose of this conversation, that is _exactly_ what I would say."

"You would say, '_Leave me alone, Potter. Do you honestly think I could forgive you, after all the torture you've put me through? You're a prat with an ego the size of a planet. Sod off.'_ Thatis what you would say." Kira responded to Charlotte's proposed question with an answer that was so . . . Lily.

"Right. Exactly. Do you see my point, Lily? Just give him one little chance. He may surprise you."

Lily grunted and reentered the Library to retrieve her books. Her friends glanced at each other with exhausted looks upon their faces.

Getting Lily to tolerate James was not going to be an easy task. Then again, nothing ever was with Lily and James.

* * *


	5. Juliet, Anyone?

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Juliet, Anyone?**

_Stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. _-- Martin Luther King Jr.

* * *

"Settle, people, settle." Professor Harris screeched, though her high-pitched pleas were drowned out by the giggles of zealous girls hoping to be cast as Juliet and the hysterical moans of those who were trying to squeeze in last-minute rehearsals. 

"At this moment, those auditioning for the part of Juliet must be present. Please sign your name on this piece of parchment before you enter the Great Hall. Other parts will be cast later on. The Head Boy and Girl have the schedules for auditioning time and so should your House Prefects. Good luck!" she announced, her voice resounding through the crowded hallway.

There was a mad rush for the piece of parchment, young girls ranging from an adorable 1st year Ravenclaw to even a burly 7th year Slytherin, rushing to get their chance to play the part nearly _every_ girl would ever want – Juliet Capulet.

"Oy, Lily! Are you going to try out or what?" Jessica, one of Lily's Ravenclaw friends called, trying desperately hard not to get trampled.

"I don't know! What if I do horribly and make a complete fool out of myself? What if they see me stumble with the lines and lose all respect for me that they ever had? What if—" Lily rambled on, worriedly clutching her head in between her hands.

Jessica's mouth was opened, poised to respond, but was quickly swept into the crowd of giddy students by a husky Hufflepuff. Lily watched her disappear, forlorn and seriously considering leaving to return to Gryffindor Tower.

"You know what, Evans? You worry too much." A voice analyzed.

_What is he doing here? He's certainly not trying out for Juliet, so he shouldn't even be here. Potter probably wants to see me make a complete fool out of myself, _she thought cynically. _Wonderful. _

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Lily spat out maliciously, her voice cold and icy.

"Don't you remember our little conversation? I said I would take up my Head Boy responsibilities. Harris asked me to fill in as a temporary Romeo for the Juliet-hopefuls to audition with. So, _voila_, here I am, at your service." He explained casually, ignoring Lily's upset expression.

"Great. So now I get to embarrass myself in front of you as well. Maybe this was a stupid idea. I probably won't get the part of Juliet anyway." She said, more to herself than to James.

"You're so pessimistic. Just think of it this way, if you don't think you will get the part, then there really isn't any pressure, now is there? Just try out for the sake of trying out. You don't have to be Juliet, so don't go torturing yourself by thinking that people are going to think any worse of you if you don't become Juliet, because they wouldn't." He stated simply, trying to calm her down.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you're right, Potter. You're absolutely right. Now, the bigger question; why are you being so nice to me? I thought we were having an argument?" she asked suspiciously, worried that his sage advice was just another prank that he was playing on her.

"Well, McGonagall said we needed to get along as Head Boy and Girl, and if I'm to perform my duty as Head Boy, I need to listen to her. That means getting along with you, doesn't it?"

"James Potter! We need to begin auditions! Please get into the Great Hall immediately." Professor Harris' voice boomed over the noisy herd of girls.

"Plus, we can't keep fighting forever, now can we?" he added, his voice faint as he disappeared in to the Great Hall.

_Now thatwas odd. James Potter, acting like a decent human being? Now I've seen everything, _she thought. _Maybe there is hope for him yet. _

She quickly looked around, a horrified expression on her face, wondering if there were any mind-readers at Hogwarts. No one could know that she actually considered the thought that Potter, prat of all prats, could possibly change for the better. Never in a million years.

And so, Lily pushed all thoughts of Potter out of her head and trudged warily over to the piece of parchment. It was worn and tattered, probably from the mad struggle over it that had taken place just a few minutes ago. She grabbed a nearby quill and shakily scrawled the name 'Lily Evans' to the lengthy list. Screwing her eyes shut, she made a silent wish and walked into the Great Hall to observe the auditions.

* * *

"_Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo_ . . ." the girl droned on, only waving her hands a little for emphasis.

Professor Harris placed the script over her face and dismissed the actress, who immediately burst into tears before shooting the Professor a lethal glance.

". . . _Deny thy father and refuse thy name_ . . . um . . . what was my line again?" another girl asked timidly.

She was bashful and nervous; it was easy to see that. Lily felt a pang of sympathy for her, as she watched the Professor wave her hand nonchalantly, motioning for the girl to leave.

_Oh God, _Lily thought. _What if that is me? What if I can't remember anything or I mess up? I'll be the laughing stock of Hogwarts!_

She zoned out, picturing herself trudging through the Charms corridor while students mercilessly chucked objects at her, seeing who could hit her head the most times.

". . . _For if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet_." Jessica recited.

Jessica had learnt all her lines, studied them meticulously, but she lacked the spirit that Professor Harris needed to find. There had to be one student, one leading lady that could bring the loving, tender essence of Juliet to Shakespeare's words.

The next student was gorgeous, her long golden locks and trim waist perfect to play the part of a beautiful maiden. Too bad she couldn't act. All her movements, all her words were forced, with no real emotion behind them. She seemed to dance so well, but Lily realized that James was wincing at every step, meaning that she obviously couldn't.

Lily stared blankly at the stage, which was currently empty. Suddenly, she heard someone call her name. Looking around, she saw Professor Harris beckon for her to perform.

The world had gone suddenly quiet, only the accelerated rate of her heart and heavy breathing ringing in her head. She nodded, as if she understood, and shakily rose from her seat. Steadying herself, she walked over to the stage, dreading the thought of actually reaching it.

Then, she remembered what James had said about how it wouldn't matter. How, even if she didn't get it, no one would think any less of her. Strangely, she believed it. She wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins, faintness from lack of oxygen, or if he was actually being sincere, but for some unknown reason she believed him.

And it was probably one of the first times she truly did.

So following the advice of someone who she had never really liked nor trusted, she let everything go. All the insecurities she had, all the fear of rejection she felt. She decided. When she reached that stage and got up on that platform, she would no longer be Lily Evans, but the one and only, Juliet.

* * *

James Potter was not having a good time. 

When Professor Harris had asked him to stand in as Romeo, he thought it would be relatively easy. Reading a couple of lines, watching the beautiful women of Hogwarts recite Shakespeare, but **no**. He had to dance with them and actually act like Romeo.

"One two three . . . one two three . . . one two three . . ." she muttered worriedly to herself, while staring down at her feet.

"What are you doing?" James whispered back, staring at her as if she was crazy.

"SHHH! I'm trying to dance! You're distracting me!" she hissed, looking up at him for only a second before gluing her eyes to her moving feet.

A few of the others weren't much better. In fact, they could possibly be deemed worse.

One incredibly beautiful blonde had danced with him, the girl that he was unlikely to forget. Only, the reason why he was unlikely to forget her was due to the throbbing pain in his toes. From anyone else's point of view, she moved confidently, staring into James eyes as she danced. To James, she was an evil-woman, who pretended to know how to dance, but was actually blindly stepping upon his tender feet.

"You can spare my feet and look down, you know." James informed her, wincing as she once again smashed his toe.

"NO! If I look down, the Professor will know that I can't dance. And that will ruin my chances to play Juliet." She snapped back, glaring at him with icy blue eyes.

"Yes, but **I** know you can't dance, and my _feet_ know as well." He replied, voice dripping with cockiness.

"Just shut your yap and dance. Stop wincing so much, or she'll notice!"

"I don't know if you know this or not, but it's rather hard _not_ to cringe when one's toes are being trampled on by a girl wearing incredibly pointy, not to mention heavy, heels."

"You are not going to ruin my chances to be Juliet, James Potter. You may seem so charming when you're strutting down the halls, but now that I've met you, I find you obviously are not. I will become Juliet, if it's the last thing I do."

"You're right. I really am not that charming. Ask Evans, she'll tell you that right off the bat. You can join the group of girls that absolutely despise me. As for you becoming Juliet, well if you do, I fear for the one playing Romeo." He retorted, as he released her.

She threw him a hateful glance and huffily walked off the stage. Yes, his feet would be smarting for a while.

_Will this day never end? Who's next, a hippogriff or a banshee? Dunno how much more of this I can take, _he thought, groaning.

"Lily Evans! You're turn next." Professor Harris called. "You okay? You don't look so good, Miss Evans."

James watched Lily steady herself and nod, though her mind seemed to be somewhere else.

_So Evans is next. God, I hope she can act. Actually, I'd much rather she knows how to dance,_ he thought to himself as Lily approached.

"Read off lines first, Miss Evans." Professor Harris demanded, hoping that she wouldn't be as horrible as some of the others.

Lily nodded understandingly and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment she had been dreading. She stared deep into James' bright hazel orbs, which were unexpectedly comforting. He nodded reassuringly and smiled warmly, which threw her off. He had never been nice before.

Pushing all her thoughts aside, she placed herself in the mindset of Juliet. Not as Lily Evans, who despised the mere thought of the man on stage, standing across from her, but as Juliet, who was deeply in love with him.

"_Oh Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name_ . . ." she began.

She continued reciting her lines. No one stopped her yet, though she wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

". . . _Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myself_." She finished.

The room was silent.

_Oh God! Why is everyone so quiet? Did I really do that badly? Someone just tell me to get off the stage and be done with it_.

"James! You're line!" Professor Harris muttered, still fazed from Lily's performance.

James shook his head and closed his mouth, which had been hanging open from sheer surprise. He never expected Lily, of all people, to be such a perfect Juliet.

"W-what? Oh, right. Um . . . _I take thee at thy word: call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romeo_." He said, regaining his composure.

"_What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night so stumblest on my counsel_?" Lily continued, still shaken by the eerie silence a few moments ago.

More silence ensued. And it made Lily tremble, right down to her bones.

"That's enough for reading. Now, please dance together, as if Juliet were dancing with Romeo. Cue music!" Professor Harris instructed, waving her wand.

Faint music played and Lily awkwardly approached James. She curtsied deep and he bowed, taking her hand. A pleasant shock of energy spread throughout her body as their fingertips touched, but she quickly brushed it off.

_She's a great dancer_, he observed. _The best I've seen, in fact. It's strange that I'm actually dancing with Evans, without being hexed. _

She looked straight at him, yet still managed to float across the stage, never missing a beat. Despite their attendance at Hogwarts balls and having danced with many different people, they were both hesitant to admit that between them was a hint of chemistry – at least on the dance floor.

"Nervous, Evans?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to end their streak of civil conversation.

"Of course not. Why would you think that? Is it my entire body shaking or the fact that my knees are about to buckle and give way?" she muttered sardonically.

"Neither, actually. It's in your eyes that I can see your fear. Barely. I must admit, you hide it well. But you know what they say. Eyes are windows to the soul." He whispered wisely, never missing a beat.

"Humph. That's absurd. You can't tell what a person is thinking from their eyes, Potter." She rationalized.

James just smirked, one again making the weak music the only sound in the room and leaving both students with their thoughts.

Usually dances were awkward, never knowing where to place one's hands and resisting temptation to stare at one's feet all day. For Lily and James, there were no issues. No uncomfortable silences, no flushed faces or attempts at half-hearted conversation. It was almost as if they had danced before – a thousand times before.

_I guess what all the girls say is true. Potter is an incredibly good dancer, _she admitted, but only to herself._ Too bad he's still a git. _

"That will be all, Miss Evans. Thank you." Professor Harris' voice cut in, stopping the music with a flick of her wand.

Lily smiled weakly and quickly ran out the door, anxious to meet her friends. James watched her leave, suddenly feeling oddly alone.

"So, Mr. Potter, what do you think about our selections for Juliet?" Professor Harris asked him.

"Well, Professor, if I may be bold enough to say, I think you and I both know who would be the _perfect_ Juliet." James murmured, his eyes still lingering upon the Great Hall's doors, where Lily had just left.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." She agreed quietly, following his gaze.

* * *


	6. Just a Phase

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Just a Phase**

_Love does not begin the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up._

**-- **James Baldwin

* * *

"So, how did you do?" Charlotte asked earnestly, tugging on Lily's arm.

"I don't know. I think I did okay. Maybe I'll get the part of the Nurse." She shrugged shakily, the adrenaline of being up on stage still coursing through her veins.

"Have confidence, Lily! I'm sure you were great!" Kira reassured her.

"She was, no doubt about that." James revealed, just as he was walking past. He turned the corner and disappeared, leaving the three girls confused.

The three girls looked perplexedly at each other and Kira raced to catch up with him. She tugged back on his robe and stopped him.

"Damn, woman! You're choking me!" he griped, massaging his neck, only after Kira had let him go.

"Puh. Men are such babies. But that's beside the point. What do you mean, she was? How would you know?" she demanded forcefully.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're incredibly forceful?"

"Yes, and stop avoiding the question!"

"Well, I was filling in as a temporary Romeo for the girls to audition with. And in my opinion and from what I can tell by Harris' reaction, she was undoubtedly the best." He stated nonchalantly. "Now if that is all, I need to go soak my feet in a whole load of murlap weed."

He left, hobbling back to the boys dormitories of Gryffindor Common Room. Charlotte and Lily meandered over to their stunned friend, prodding her in her dazed state.

"That was completely unexpected." Kira muttered. "Do you think he's had a run-in with a Cheering Charm?"

"I know. It's strange, isn't it? I thought maybe he was playing a prank on me when he was being somewhat decent, but he sort of seems . . . genuine. I _never_ thought I'd say that." Lily laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm still not convinced he's changed. People can't change in a day, but hopefully, it's a step towards the better, eh?" Kira grinned.

"You two. So cynical. Maybe he's maturing." Charlotte shook her head, sighing.

Just then, Kira and Lily burst into peals of laughter, leaning on each other for support.

"What's so funny?" Charlotte placed her hands upon her hips and looked disapprovingly.

"YOU! The thought that James Potter might mature. It's delirious. Laughable, really." Lily stated, mid giggle.

"You're just acting this way because you know I might be right. People grow up, eventually, Lily. Maybe it's James' turn."

"Oh, yeah, riiight. It's Potter's turn to get a chance in the real world." Lily said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And the moment he steps into it and gets his first dose of reality, he'll abandon it in an instant for his adoring fans and childish pranks. Face it, Charlotte. Potter won't stay mature for long. It's just a phase."

* * *

"So, Prongs, I'm guessing auditions for Juliet didn't go too well." Sirius commented, noting how James was soaking his feet.

"How can you tell? Is it the gigantic swelling of my feet, which seem to resemble balloons now?" he retorted sarcastically. "Evans did great, though. It's hard to believe someone so spiteful and cruel could ever act so . . . Juliet-like."

"You know, she's only that way towards you, right? To everyone else, Lily is completely nice and has an incredibly attractive quality to her. Perfectly Juliet-ish." Remus informed him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hate it when you're right. I even took your advice with that whole, acting mature thing. Just to see if she'd act differently. I'm not sure if she was just nervous from auditions or what, but she didn't hex me, which is always a plus. Did I mention how much I hate it when you're right, Moony."

"I know, I know. Wisdom is such a curse. So you apologized, then?"

"Not exactly. I just acted normally, didn't go out of my way to bother her, I guess. I just acted as if she was a real person, rather than . . . well . . . Evans, the girl who detests the very sight of me."

"Awww . . . little Prongsie is growing up. He's learning how to act like a big boy so the pretty lady Lily won't hate him and hex him into oblivion every time she sees him." Sirius cooed in a childish, teasing voice.

"Grow up, Padfoot. You're such a prat." He snapped, unable to think of a better comeback.

"Oh, what? Like you? No thank you. You're beginning to sound like a certain red-headed Head Girl. Now, who could that be, causing this rather sudden change in our Prongs here? Any guesses Mr. Moony?" Sirius asked, mockingly.

"Oh, I'm not sure. There are so many choices. Let's see, there's Lily, and Lily, and Lily, and Lily . . . I wonder who it is . . . I'm going to take a wild stab at it and say that Miss Lily Evans and Prongs' insatiable need to get closer to her is fueling this sudden change. What do you think, Mr. Wormtail? Am I right?" Remus responded, deciding to play along.

"Oh, let's check. YES! The answer is Lily Evans! Incredible! Who would have guessed? Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Moony is clearly a genius! Mr. Padfoot, tell him what he's won!" Peter teased, happy that he was part of their joke on James.

"Well, Mr. Wormtail, I'm glad you asked! Mr. Moony has won all bragging rights and freedom to take advantage of every opportunity to embarrass Mr. Prongs in front of subject A, Lily Evans. Actually, **we** can do that as well. So everyone's a winner, except for, of course Mr. Prongs, who is still _Lily-less_. That's it folks! That's the end of our game! Thank you for playing. We'll be here all week." He concluded, grinning happily.

James sat moodily on the couch, watching his friends with a scowl on his face.

_I'm not changing and even if I am, she has nothing to do with it_, he told himself.

"Oy! Prongs! Geesh, we've been trying to call you for quite some time now. What's wrong, got Evans on the brain?" Remus asked, sardonically.

James shot him a frosty glare and marched up the winding staircase to the boys dormitories, leaving the three remaining Marauders in hysterical fits of laughter.

* * *

"Eh, hem. Attention all students! I have an announcement for all those who auditioned for a part in the play at the beginning of the week. You all did magnificently and Professor Harris has made her decisions. After the end of today's classes, assigned parts will be passed out on pieces of parchment in the Great Hall. Feel free to check to see if you will be playing your desired role after lessons. That is all. Thank you!" the Headmaster announced, as the noisy hall once again resumed its usual hustling and bustling.

"Ooh, Lily! I hope you got the part!" Charlotte squealed animatedly.

"Me too, Charlotte, though I highly doubt it. There was this really gorgeous blonde Hufflepuff who looked like a perfect Juliet. She'll probably get the part. I wonder who will be Romeo though . . ." she sighed, shrugging.

"Have faith! You did great, even Potter said so. I'm not exactly sure who auditioned for the part of Romeo, other than Scott Davies, but he'll probably be most likely to get it." Kira assured her, while cutting her ham absentmindedly with a fork.

"Well, who knows if we can trust Potter or not. Whoever plays Juliet is a very lucky girl, if Scott Davies is Romeo. Very lucky, indeed." she murmured, daydreaming.

"Lily? C'mon. Class starts soon and you know how Professor Argos gets if we're late." Charlotte warned, tugging at Lily's robes.

"Oh, right. Ugh . . . N.E.W.T level Defense against the Dark Arts with a teacher that loathes me almost as much as I despise Potter. I simply can not wait." Lily muttered mordantly.

She rose wearily and trudged out of the Great Hall, dreading the hours that she would have to wait before classes ended.

She thought Defense against the Dark Arts would be bad, but clearly, she had overlooked the fact that her last class of the day was one of the worst – N.E.W.T History of Magic.

Lily glanced wearily around the room at the lifeless students, who were obviously tuning out the monotonous voice of Professor Binns, who was equally lifeless – literally.

Like the rest of the students, her head was rested comfortably on her hand, her heavy eyelids threatening to close. There were hardly any Gryffindors taking the N.E.W.T class, excluding James Potter and herself, of course. The population of the classroom was comprised mainly of Ravenclaws, with a few Hufflepuffs and Slytherins thrown in for variation. James had his head laid conspicuously on his desk, his glasses slightly askew. He looked so . . . different. Innocent, compared to the devious, ignorant, conceited troublemaker Lily was so used to seeing.

_I even have to observe Potter to keep myself occupied. The entire class is practically snoring_, she thought to herself.

_You'd think Headmaster Dumbledore would hire someone who students actually paid attention to. I think this is possibly the most boring class I have ever been in. Including muggle studies.Born a muggle; studying muggles! I don't know how more boring one can get, _she paused and looked around the classroom. _Oh wait, I guess I do know. _

After what seemed like hours of listening to the Professor's dull lectures about the past wrongdoings of notorious villains of the Wizarding World, the time to be spent with him had been reduced to a mere five minutes.

Lily glanced nervously at her watch, wringing the piece of paper in her hands and impatiently wiggling her foot to and fro.

The second hand reached the number twelve and the watch's face immediately flashed "AUDITION RESULTS! GET 'EM NOW!".

Professor Binns dismissed the sleepy students, who seemed to be suddenly rejuvenated as they exited the dreary classroom.

Lily contemplated looking at the results in the Great Hall, pausing in the middle of the hallway as she attempted to decide.

"LILY EVANS! IF YOU HAVEN'T GONE TO SEE AUDITION RESULTS, YOU BETTER GET YOUR ARSE INTO THAT GREAT HALL RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" the watch on her thin wrist howled, attracting quite a lot of attention from surrounding students.

She grinned embarrassingly, a slight pink tint appearing upon her cheeks, as the students loitering in the hallways stared at her. She reminded herself to reprimand Kira for purchasing the bothersome watch for her on her previous birthday.

She nodded apologetically and rushed off down the hall into the Great Hall. Once she entered, she stared at her feet and exhaled, glad to be rid of the compromising situation.

Lily took a moment to breath and regained her composure, smoothing out her skirt and adjusting her gold and scarlet necktie. Students sporting similar outfits were clumped in various groups, conversing breathlessly and pointing to relatively large sized pieces of parchment clutched in their hands.

She began to walk to the front of the Great Hall, where the remnants of a muddled stack of papers were fanned out across the wooden table.

Immediately, the crowds of students parted, allowing her to walk. The hall grew silent, eyes centered on her movement towards the papers. Lily, being the observant person she was, noticed this, immediately feeling a rise of heat into her cheeks and a loss of strength in her legs.

_What now? Why is everyone staring at me? I wonder what I did _. . . she worried herself, attempting not to look at the others.

After quite a few seconds of virtual silence, Lily let out a cry of vexation and muttered "_Accio Parchment_", pointing to the mess of paper with her wand. A rolled up scroll hurtled towards her, past the faces of the gawking audience.

She easily caught it with her left hand and spun around, heading out of the hall. She tucked back tendrils of fiery hair and headed towards the common room, wondering why she was even bothering to look at the roles.

Was it curiosity? Wondering who had gotten what? Or was it hope? Hope that maybe, even by a sliver of a chance, that she, Lily Evans, might have gotten the part of Juliet. The thought was simply absurd.

"Lily?" a voice called, demanding her attention.

She turned around, searching for the voice, her eyes landing upon a man with striking features, his fair blend of creamy chocolate and light bronze locks complimenting his strong jaw and deep azure eyes.

"Yes?" she responded, her body growing tense in his presence.

Scott Davies. One of the rare guys who had always managed to put Lily's sharp tongue at bay and cause her to melt into a pile of mush with one acknowledging head nod.

"I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you." He smiled, Lily softening underneath his gaze.

"C-congratulate me? Shouldn't I be congratulating you?" she murmured, confused.

"Thanks! It's not exactly the part I would have liked, but it is a great part to play, nonetheless." He admitted, shrugging his broad shoulders.

"Really? What part were you hoping to get? I thought Romeo would be the perfect role for you . . . I mean, you're probably the only person here who could be such a fitting lead." She blushed furiously, staring at the ground.

"That's what I thought. Obviously Professor Harris thought differently, because she cast me as Tybalt."

"WHAT?" she blurted out, practically overlooking who exactly she was addressing.

"Yeah. Anyway, congratulations on being Juliet. You're perfect, Lily. Harris chose wisely. See you at rehearsal." He nodded goodbye and sauntered down the hall.

"Scott Davies just told me I am a perfect Juliet. _Somebody_ pinch me." She muttered aloud.

Suddenly, she felt a sharp prick on her arm. Inspecting it, she saw that a darker pink spot had appeared. She frowned and looked up into the eyes of a friendly Ravenclaw's face.

"Hey!" she cried out, crossly.

"What? You told me to pinch you! By the way, way to go on scoring the lead. I watched you audition. You were brilliant, Lily. Bloody brilliant." Jessica giggled.

"Um . . . thanks. I didn't even realize that I'd gotten the part. I haven't had a chance to even look at the list of people cast. Erm . . . I have to go, but I'll see you around." Lily promised, still grasping the curled up parchment in her hand.

Once the two had parted, Lily unrolled it and took one look at the list of names. She scanned the names on the right side, running her slim finger along the edges of the paper as she read.

"Romeo Montague: James Potter. Juliet Capulet: Lily Evans. Tybalt: Scott Davies. Mercutio: Sirius Black. Benvolio: Remus Lupin . . ." she read off carelessly in a sing-song voice.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped back to the very first name on the lengthy list.

"Romeo Montague . . . J-James P-Potter? Is she mad?" Lily ranted, throwing her hands up into the air and storming up the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower. "This is not possible. Someone must have changed it. There is no way . . ."

* * *


	7. The Dangers of Lily Evans

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* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Dangers of Lily Evans**

_The heart has reasons that reason does not understand._ -**- **Jacques Benigne Bossuel

* * *

She barked the password, "_scourgify_" and tapped her foot impatiently as the Fat Lady revealed the entrance and attempted to spark a conversation with her, which she responded to coldly.

She was far to irked to bother with making friends with a portrait at this point. She wanted to conserve her anger, and unleash it all upon the one person she felt truly deserved it.

"Potter! You . . . me . . . talk . . . now!" she commanded, not bothering to conceal her feelings.

"You called ever so lady-like?" he countered, flashing his trademark grin.

Once he noted the serious glaring from Lily's eyes, he quickly wiped off his face and modified his response to her.

"Sorry. S'up Evans?"

"Change it back. I knowyoumay think this is some sort of joke, but other people take this play extremely seriously. If you think for one second that being Head Boy gives you the right to change Professor Harris' choices, you've got another thing coming to you." She reprimanded, eyes glinting ferociously.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" he scratched his head, tilting it to the right ever so slightly.

"I'm talking about _this_. It's really not funny, Potter." She sighed angrily, thrusting the scroll at his face.

He looked at it cautiously and gingerly unraveled it, his eyes growing wide as he saw his own name on the list – the leading role, nonetheless.

"Congrats, Evans. Or should I say, Lady Capulet?" he laughed at his own joke. "Oy Padfoot, Moony! Get in here!"

"Yes, oh mighty Potter? Is there a reason why you are calling us to the Common Room when we were in the middle of a thrilling chess match?" Sirius grumbled, mockingly placing his hands crossly on his hips.

"Don't listen to him, Prongs. My victory over Padfoot was imminent. You simply delayed the destruction of his knight and eventual defeat. So, what exactly did you need us for?" Remus clarified, a smug look on his face.

"No it wasn't Moony! Even ask Wormtail! What do you say? He wasn't about to win, was he Pete?" Sirius asked indignantly.

"Uh . . . no comment?" Peter grinned, while Sirius continued to mutter huffily.

"Have you seen this? Harris must not hate us as much as she lets on. We all got rather decent roles." James pointed animatedly towards the paper.

"Well I'll be. Who'd have thought? Me . . . Sirius Black . . . an _actor_. Actually, I always knew I would be famous." He grinned. "Famous or infamous, at least."

"Kudos Prongs. Quite an accomplishment. I'm surprised she even considered us for roles. After the show Padfoot put on in her class a few years back, I would never have guessed." He admitted, obviously flabbergasted.

"Just make sure you don't mess up, Prongs. Because I'll be in the audience, watching your every move." Peter cackled evilly. "Don't choke, mate."

"Wormtail . . . you know me better than that. I thrive on pressure." James reassured him, while Lily shot them all a disgusted look.

"Now that you're all updated on the situation . . . and have all had your fun . . . change it back." Lily insisted, having dealt with enough of the Marauders for one day.

"Evans, _love_, I know you want to do wonderfully on your N.E.W.Ts, but you really need to get some sleep. You're going crazy, _darling_." Sirius slung his arm casually around her shoulders.

"Black, _doll_, you're crazy if you think I'm going to fall for another one of your pranks. There is no way Potter, king of insensitive, bigheaded prats, could have been chosen to be Romeo, one of the most caring, romantically written characters ever. There is no way Professor Harris could possibly be so susceptible to the acclaimed 'Potter Charm'." Lily shoved his arm away, the volume of her voice rising.

"Believe it or not, _dear_, I have heard nothing about any plans to send out fraud list of roles for the play. And **I** . . . hear everything that goes on in the heads of the rest of these mischievous miscreants. I'm the brains of the operation, you know." He grinned, displaying his pearly whites to Lily.

"Oh, really, _sweetie_? I thought you were the senseless idiot who takes the blame for it all. My mistake." She stressed, catching on to Sirius' carefree game.

"_Honey_, what I say is true. I just allow Remus over here to take the role as 'brains' of the Marauders, when actually, it's all about me. I just feel pity for the poor boy. As for the rest of them, they'd be lost without me. Poor blokes. Can you imagine the Marauders without a Sirius Black? Inconceivable!" he declared, defiantly shaking his fist into the air.

"I wouldn't dare to think of it, _babe_. Everyone sees the rapt attention you pay in every single one of your classes. How could they_not_realize your brilliance? What about your modesty? Now that is unsurpassable."

"Well, _su_—" he began, grinning.

Lily had an excellent sense of humor, from his point of view. Once you got past all the stressing, responsible, slightly insane side(s) of her.

"That's enough of that, you two. I think you've sucked the English language dry of all the _endearing pet names_ that I can tolerate." Remus admonished, smirking.

"What a party-pooper." Sirius pouted, winking at Lily. She sent him a small smile, rolling her eyes jokingly.

"Ha! I won." She declared, throwing her hands upward in triumph, while Sirius hung his head in defeat, still smiling.

"I'm a shame to the Marauders. Well, I'm off to go bawl in a corner, rocking myself back and forth in a corner while contemplating how I could possibly have been defeated by you, Evans." He inched towards the exit, dramatically pretending to burst into tears.

"You go ahead and do that, Black." Her attention shifted to the remaining boys. "Well, that was entertaining. Now, I'm off to Professor Harris' office to see who really got cast."

She strode swiftly out the door, while James shrugged at Remus and ran after her.

"Evans, hold up. I'm coming with you."

"Why? To see me horribly embarrassed when I have to tell Professor Harris about your pathetic joke?" she scathed.

"Two reasons, actually. One, to prove that I _didn't_ pass out a fraud list of roles. And two, to figure out how the hell I managed to be cast as Romeo."

"Oh, so you don't think you deserve it either?" she raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued.

"It's difficult a concept to grasp and I'll let you in on my little secret. I'm not perfect." He lowered his voice, his face full of seriousness, though his eyes twinkled playfully.

"What? How could this be? You're fans would be **so** devastated if they knew!" she exclaimed, exaggerating every last word.

"I know!Shh . . . don't tell. Truth is, I didn't even want to have a huge part in the play. That's why I didn't even try out for Romeo. There are probably guys out there who would be much more dedicated to playing the part. I hadn't even known what the play was about until the day before auditions." He replied, truthfully modest.

"Are you saying that you read _Romeo and Juliet _in one night and completely understood it?" she asked, incredulously.

"Why? Is that bad?"

"N-no. It's just . . . very . . . difficult. What, with all the old English and everything."

Was he putting on a mask, so she would let her guard down? He seemed so sincere, but then again, he was a good actor. If he was telling the truth and really didn't change the cast, he must have been, for Professor Harris to offer him the leading role.

They reached the second floor corridor, right in front of the Muggle Studies classroom. James grabbed the handle and opened the door, motioning for Lily to enter.

She stared at him for a moment, puzzled, before entering.

Professor Harris was seated at her desk, swiveling in her chair, her hair secured on top of her head with a few accurately placed pencils – rarely seen at Hogwarts. But then again, the professor wasn't really one to conform to the norm.

"May I help you two?" she asked, staring through her glasses while sucking on the end of a quill.

"Yes, actually. I was wondering if I could see the list of cast members for the play." Lily asked curtly.

"Erm . . . sure, but why didn't you simply pick up a scroll in the Great Hall?" she muttered skeptically, while rummaging through the messy contents piled on top of her desk. "Ah ha! Gotcha. Here are my personal notes. I don't have any other copies of the list."

She handed Lily the paper, full of scrawls and scribbles in the margins. Lily skimmed through the paper, with James peering at it over her shoulder.

It read:

Romeo James Potter

Juliet Lily Evans.

With an arrow pointing to the two circled names, there were minute scribbles of what looked like the word 'chemistry'.

Lily shuddered at the mere thought. James habitually ran a hand through his tangled hair, his face pouted in confusion.

"But . . . it's not possible . . ." she mused, eyes glowing dangerously.

She hated the truth.

"Told you." He whispered in her ear before addressing the Professor. "Why exactly was I chosen? I didn't even go to the Romeo auditions."

"You were the only person who fit the role of Romeo. Just like Miss Evans, here, is the only one who could possibly play the part of Juliet." She responded, shrewdly.

Lily's mind wandered to the face of an extremely good-looking Ravenclaw. He was the perfect Romeo . . . not _Potter_.

"I tried out for Tybalt! Why didn't I get Tybalt?" he frowned, his voice rising slightly.

"Well, I felt that Mr. Davies was much better suited for the part. After watching you fill-in as Romeo during the Juliet auditions, it was quite obvious that no one else could have done any better."

Lily scoffed, frowning. The room was silent, as James contemplated the work he'd have to put in as the lead, while Lily mourned the fact that she'd have to spend less time with Scott, and more time with . . . Potter.

"Now, if there's nothing else to discuss, I have to correct these exams for my Muggle Studies class." She stated briskly, implying her wish for them to leave. "Honestly. Some of these kids are daft. Refrigerators that heat up foods that were frozen in the microwave. Dim, I tell you!"

James, already on his feet walked through the doorway. Lily, on the other hand, lagged behind. She had one more question.

"Are you sure I'm the right person for the part?" she inquired timidly, on her way out the door.

Professor Harris looked up from her papers. She pushed the rim of her glasses up with her finger and stared peculiarly at Lily.

"Miss Evans. I have seen and studied many plays, I've watched many girls try to play Juliet at this institute, and not one of them played the part better than you. You and Mr. Potter, well, you're the perfect Romeo and Juliet. Now, does that answer your question?" she sighed.

Lily nodded, feigning understanding.

_Me? And Potter? The perfect Romeo and Juliet? That's it. She's drunk. Figures, _she mulled.

Just as she shut the door behind her, James leaped out from behind the corner, yelling "Boo!"

She recoiled, letting out a startled cry. Then . . .

**:whack:**

The next thing she knew, James let out a thunderous bellow and cupped his hands over his nose.

"Bloody hell, Evans. Was that really necessary?" he mumbled through his hands.

"Sorry! You scared me. It was a . . . a . . . reflex." she apologized, though she couldn't help but let out a diminutive smile.

"I'm _sure_." He retorted sarcastically. "You've been waiting to do that since you met me. Don't try and hide that smile, Evans."

"Alright then, I won't." she drawled, amusement intertwined in her words. "But _seriously_, are you okay?"

She thought about what Charlotte had said, about giving Potter a chance. As reluctant as she was, she understood where Charlotte was coming from. And as difficult as it may be, she resolved to make a conscious effort to offer him a bit of credit. She would think of it as a test. Yes, a test of character.

She saw him as a challenge of her emotional control. Her temper, to be specific. There was no one in the world that could push her buttons like he. And Lily was adamant about changing that. She didn't like the thought of anyone having the upper hand. If she couldn't have control, her world would be chaotic.

"Yeah, nothing but a little blood." He shrugged it off.

"How much is a little?" she asked, trying to examine his nose, which he was obstinately covering with his hands. "Don't be so difficult and just let me see it!"

"Never!" he hollered, retreating further down the hallway.

She advanced upon him, smirking menacingly. Letting out an evil sounding cackle, she began poking at his stomach and sides.

"Surrender, Potter!" she demanded, all the while, prodding him.

He fought hard, attempting not to laugh. Eventually, Lily's persistent tickling overwhelmed him. He chortled, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"Yay! I won!" she declared, a victorious look on her face.

She glanced at James' nose, which on the other hand, looked defeated and battered. It was swollen, turning a nasty shade of violet, with a thick globular liquid smeared around it.

"Ugh . . . you're such a liar, Potter. It looks broken, for goodness sake. Men are so . . . stubborn. C'mon. You've got to go to the Hospital Wing." She diagnosed, pulling at his robes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Women are so . . . pushy." he mumbled, plodding along next to her. "And dangerous. Most definitely."

"I said I was sorry!" she insisted in a lighthearted tone, smiling innocently.

"Oh, I just assumed that was for brutally accusing me of planting false audition results in the Great Hall, while having no actual evidence, other than your intense loathing of me." He spat out unperturbedly.

She winced, hating the fact that she was wrong.

"Fair enough. About that, I'm also, really sorry. I just assumed . . ."

"You just assumed that I, James Potter, you're life-long enemy and the bane of your existence, could never score a part that you felt was fitting for your oh-so-dreamy Ravenclaw boyfriend prospect."

His hazel eyes displayed a tint of green pigment, intently awaiting Lily's response to his last comment.

"Erm . . . is it that obvious?" she grinned, sheepishly. "That I fancy him? And that I made a rather hasty conclusion because of my dislike for you?"

The hints of emerald deepened, branching through the iris and filling his eyes with a sort of resentful quality – whether or not it had anything to do with the twinge of envy he felt in the pit of his stomach was debatable.

"Yes on both counts. But no worries, milady. I forgive you for breaking the bridge of my nose and for blaming me for Davies' obvious lack of talent." He smugly assured her.

She stopped. Just when she had thought he wasn't **so** bad.

"What? Obvious lack of talent? Huh! Scott Davies has more talent in his pinky finger than you do in your entire being!" she growled.

_I knew it. It's still the same Potter, only trying a tiny bit harder to be more polite and hide his insufferable stupidity. Still the same cocky prat I have always hated_, she thought.

"Think what you want to think, Evans. Let's just see who's Romeo . . . could it be? Oh yes, it is . . . drum roll please . . . James Potter!"

"Ooh! You're so arrogant! If I hadn't already broken your nose, I would do it again. In fact, I think I'll wait until Madame Pomprey heals you. Then I can break it again, once it's healed, just for the hell of it."

James grinned, putting his hands up in a mock surrender.

She narrowed her eyes, looking at him distrustfully through emerald slits.

_Why is he smiling? Why is he always smiling? Like it's a joke, _she reflected. _I HATE that. Potter and his stupid jokes. _

While she was thinking, he had snuck off into the Hospital Wing, under the strict protection of Madame Pomprey.

She swung open the door, only to see him sitting on a bed, an ice pack pressed to his nose, while the nurse looked around for her wand.

"Mr. Potter, I've seemed to misplace my wand, so you're broken nose will just have to stay broken for a little longer." She informed him, mystified as to how she could have misplaced her wand.

James noticed Lily, who was glaring murderously at him. He smirked in response, which only seemed to make her blood boil.

"How exactly did you break your nose anyway, Mr. Potter?"

"Oh . . . accident?" he suggested, his illustrious pride preventing him from admitting that Lily Evans had been the sole cause of his injury.

"Oh, honestly. You children and your accidents." She complained, still searching for her missing wand.

Finally, she noticed Lily's presence in the room.

"Miss, may I help you?"

"Huh? Oh, erm . . . no, actually. I just came to . . . um . . . check on Pott—my fellow Head, to see if he was alright." She covered smoothly.

"Aw. Well, he's going to be just fine. The scoundrel just broke his nose, but it'll be right in no time, just as soon as I find my wand." She cooed.

Lily sent her a sweet, innocent smile.

"Alright, then. Thank you so much for taking care of him. His recovery is very important. And I just wanted to thank you for your services." She gushed, eloquently.

Waving goodbye, she left the room, but not before giving James a clear look of irritation.

"Such a sweet girl. And such a good Head Girl. So kind, that one is. I bet she wouldn't hurt a fly." She praised, while James rolled his eyes.

"Humph. Riiight. Obviously, she feels no remorse in hurting a _Potter_ . . ." he scowled, holding the ice to his numb nose.

* * *


	8. Testing Limits

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* * *

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Testing Limits**

_It is better to lose your pride to someone you love, than to lose your loved one to your useless pride._

-- Unknown

* * *

"Does anyone know where James is?" Sirius questioned, while he and the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team waited impatiently for James to arrive.

"Last time I saw him, he was walking with Lily Evans on the fourth floor." Mercedes spoke up, absentmindedly scratching at the peeling paint on the handle of her aged broom.

"Oh, right. He should have been done talking to Harris by now." Sirius grumbled, grinding his toe into the moist earth.

"Oy! Why aren't you lot practicing? I'm not here for a few minutes and you turn into a lazy bunch of toads?" James called from the other side of the field, running up to the cluster of players with his broomstick clutched tightly in his right hand.

"A few minutes? C'mon, Capt! It's been nearly a half an hour!" a lanky, dark-skinned boy by the name of Miles, commented.

"Oh, quit your whining and mount your brooms, before I make you all fly laps around the field!" James bellowed, insulted by the boy's insolence.

The team hurriedly boarded their brooms, knowing not to mess with the captain when he was in a bad mood. And he was in a bad mood.

James sighed and swung his leg over the broom, pushing off hard against the ground.

"So, how did Evans react when she realized that you're actually going to be Romeo?" Sirius grinned, while smacking a nearby bludger across the field.

"She 'accidentally' hit me in the nose, apologized, and then I think I may have said something offensive to her, so now she's back to hating my guts." He responded, scrutinizing the moves of a younger chaser at the same time.

"All in a days work, eh?" Sirius grinned.

James grunted a response, tenderly patting his nose to ensure that it was completely healed. Fully satisfied with his inspection, he cocked his head towards the younger Quidditch players, motioning for Sirius to follow him.

"Now, if we could just forget about the ever-sadistic Evans for a moment . . . let's teach these amateurs how to play _real_ Quidditch."

And with that, he smirked, directing his broom towards the unsuspecting cluster of younger players – many who were about to learn why no one dared to defy James Potter.

* * *

"I can't believe James, of all people, was cast as Romeo." Charlotte exclaimed, once she had heard the news.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hooray for Potter. All hail Potter, king of the talented and blessed." Lily said dryly.

"Lily . . ." Charlotte scolded disapprovingly.

"I know! I know! I shouldn't be so negative and narrow-minded and blah blah blah. It's so hard! Especially when I'm talking about Potter! He's so . . . infuriating!" she blabbed, sending her friend a defiant glare.

"Fine. Be nastily mean to James. See if I care. But don't come running to me when you end up doing something drastic in front of the entire school because of your burning hatred of James. Unless you control your anger, you're going to end up making a fool out of yourself, Lily. But far be it for me to try and offer some sound advice." She stated.

"Oh fine. I hate it when you do that. Fine, fine, fine. No more horrible comments about Potter." Lily agreed.

"Brilliant. Just think of it as . . . testing your limits." Charlotte suggested energetically, quite the opposite of the sour expression on Lily's face.

They sat on the plush, scarlet armchairs in silence. Charlotte stared at Lily, slightly amused by Lily's scrunched up face.

Kira walked in, her head held high and the audition results in her fist. Her smile spanned across her face, but quickly changed to confusion, as she watched her two best friends sitting together in silence. One, who was fighting the urge to giggle and the other, who seemed to be fighting the urge to speak.

"What's going on?" she whispered to Charlotte, who refused to take her eyes off Lily.

"Lily's decided not to say anything mean to anyone -- even James. And I'm just waiting for her to crack." Charlotte informed her.

"Ooh! Let me play! I bet you . . ." she eagerly plunged her hand into the pocket of her robes and pulled out an assortment of oddly shaped coins. "Seventeen sickles that she'll crack within the next 5 minutes."

Charlotte arched her eyebrow and tore her eyes away from Lily to look at Kira, who was confidently extending her hand.

"Fine. I have faith in Lily. She can do it for longer than that. We have a deal." She shook her friend's hand firmly.

Lily glared at them, though her piercing jade eyes laughed good-heartedly at her own predicament.

_I'll show them_, she thought. _I won't say anything negative about Potter. _

Just as she made her personal vow, James and Sirius sauntered into the room, sweaty and drained from a grueling practice.

Charlotte emitted a groan, while Kira cried out in imminent victory. Lily simply focused her attention on the fringe of the blood-red rug beneath her, wondering what horrific thing she had done that was ghastly enough to have the world set against her.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Kira plopped down upon the loveseat and dug around her pockets for some leftover candy.

Discovering a half empty bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, she began popping them into her mouth, while watching Lily with intense cerulean orbs.

"Want some?" she offered the bag to Charlotte, who was watching with equal concentration.

"Ladies." James greeted, flashing is trademark smile. "Evans."

Lily's mouth forced an exaggerated smile, her teeth clenched tightly together.

"Oy! What's wrong with Evans? She looks constipated." Sirius whispered to Kira, while slyly trying to nick some beans.

She slapped away his hand and replied, "She promised herself that she wouldn't say anything terrible about Potter."

"Ooh, scoot over!" he ordered, sliding next to her on the loveseat and observing them in silence.

"Care to place a bet?" Kira whispered. "I've got seventeen sickles that she'll crack in the next five minutes, and Char thinks longer. You want in?"

"Hell yeah. I bet seventeen sickles that she'll insult him in the next minute." He enthusiastically agreed.

Lily, overhearing their conversation sent them all icy glares, folding her arms across her chest.

Being of strong will power and mind, Lily pursed her lips, determined not to let them slip. The seconds of the clock seemed to tick, as James spoke fervently with his fellow Quidditch teammate about strategies and techniques to improve their performance on the other side of the common room.

"You really drove us into the ground today, James. Why so rough?" Miles questioned, wiping the sweat off his dark brow and brushing the dust off his filthy robes.

"Let's just say, I wasn't in the best of moods when we began practicing. And the best way to relieve stress, anger, feelings in general is to train – hard – for Quidditch." James explained, inconspicuously glancing over at Sirius and the group of girls seated on the couches.

"Damn. Someone must have made you pretty mad, judging by today's practice." Miles commented, inspecting his battered legs and calloused hands. James grinned sheepishly, the thought of a red-headed spitfire lingering in his mind.

Sirius; however, grew more and more agitated, constantly glancing up at the clock. Being Sirius, he blatantly refused to act as a spectator and watch his money fly away from him. It was time he took matters into his own hands.

"Prongs! Did you ever let _Snivellus _out of that broom closet?" he crowed, calling for James' attention.

James' hazel eyes lit up as he strutted over to the sitting area. Lily watched him with disgust through her forest green slits.

"You know what, mate? I don't think I did. Ah . . . s'okay though. I'm sure the slimy git will get out of there eventually." He guffawed sadistically.

Lily maintained her artificial smile, though she was seething inside.

"Or, we could just let him out tomorrow morning." He added, maliciously.

That was it. She couldn't take it anymore.

"JAMES POTTER! How could you? What makes you so much better than anyone else, that you can decide who should be punished and how? You're a bullying, insolent, irresponsible JERK!" she bellowed, storming out of the room.

"Geesh. It's just Snivellus!" he muttered, before marching up the staircase to the boys dormitories.

A few seconds of silence ensued, before Sirius cut in, demanding payment.

"You cheated! You provoked him to provoke her! Manky git!" Kira scowled, reluctant in giving up her sickles to someone as devious as Sirius.

"Tsk, tsk. You know what they say, all's fair in love and war." He replied simply, ecstatic about gaining a total of 34 silver sickles.

"I should have known better. Those two are like oil and water." Charlotte sighed, gazing longingly at her lost coins, as Sirius professionally inspected them.

"Well, it's a pleasure doing business with you ladies." He announced before leaping over the couch and bounding up the steps two at a time.

* * *

"Attention, students! Attention!" Professor Harris squealed, failing miserably at calming the rowdy students.

Lily had managed to gain control of a small group, but there was little she could do to get the attention of such a magnitude of energetic people.

"Potter! Help!" she hissed, taking a momentary break from scolding a 3rd year Ravenclaw for scaring a group of 1st years with tales about cannibal professors that boiled students who received detentions in the cauldrons in the dungeon.

"Oh, but you seem to be doing such a wonderful job without me!" he smirked, leaning casually against the wall.

Just as he said this, a spurt of ice cold water hit the back of her head, turning her auburn locks a dark blood red shade with dampness.

She performed a prompt drying spell and spun around angrily, before facing James.

"Okay, okay! I'll help. Don't get your knickers in a twist." He agreed, laughing.

He stuck two fingers in his mouth and blew loudly, emitting a deafeningly high-pitched whistle that got everyone's attention.

"Listen up, you lot. Professor Harris and your _lovely_ Head Girl," – he stated somewhat mockingly, grinning mischievously at her. "Have been trying to get your attention this entire time. We're starting rehearsals now, so pay attention!"

Time stood still, some glaring, others, simply staring at him.

"So SIT DOWN!" he ordered forcefully.

Immediately, there was a rumble of feet moving across the wooden floor as practically every student followed James' command.

He looked back at Lily, who was glowering and Professor Harris, who seemed to be in awe. Looking around the Great Hall, he spotted Sirius and Remus, who nodded with approval at him, their faces obviously impressed by his commanding skills.

"W-Well then, I guess we'll read through the script without acting. Make sure to have a clear voice and to mind your pronunciation. Here are your scripts."

With a wave of her wand, each student held a thick book in their hands, with the words 'Romeo and Juliet' on the cover in gilded script.

She scanned her list for the name of the student beginning the play.

"Morgan LeFaye, if you would kindly begin."

_Two households both alike in dignity_

_In fair Verona, where we lay our scene_

_From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean . . . _

The reading passed quickly, though some students had become restless, lost in the relentless stream of old English. Breaking away from the monotony of Shakespeare, the Headmaster summoned Professor Harris to his office.

"I'm afraid I must leave you for a moment. Can you two continue on with rehearsals?" she asked James and Lily.

They both nodded understandingly, though James seemed much more pleased at her departure than Lily.

"So . . . we'll continue from . . ." Lily leafed through the book, her eyes scanning for the desired page. "Act 2, scene 1."

"_Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy centre out_." James read, his words practically faultless.

Lily scoffed inwardly in disgust, while still maintaining her unbiased expression.

"_Romeo! My cousin Romeo!_" Remus called out, exuding confidence when others would have felt foolish.

Save for James' lucky achievement of the part of Romeo, Lily decided that Professor Harris had done a rather good job, selecting those who seemed to best fit the role. Remus, as the kind, peaceful, ever-faithful companion and Sirius as the hot-headed, jocular comrade. It all fit.

She shook her thoughts out of her head, realizing the awkward silence that had befallen in the Great Hall. She skimmed her script, immediately shifting her critical gaze towards Sirius Black.

"Eh hem. Black?" she coughed loudly, as to catch his attention.

"Oh, is it my line already? Dreadfully sorry, I was a bit preoccupied with being bored out of my mind." Sirius yawned loudly.

James and Remus shook their heads disapprovingly, though their faces were lit up with broad smiles.

"Black, don't be such a nitwit. Just read the line." Lily demanded, shaking the book so he could see.

"I'm hurt, Evans. You're words wound me, but the show must go on! Where were we again?" he motioned dramatically, rising from his seat.

"For goodness sake! Are you dull? Your bloody book is open to the right page. You read the line after it says Mercutio. You know, the part for which you were cast? How you managed to get it still eludes me. Just read the damn line, Black."

"Evans! Such manners . . ." he scolded playfully, walking over to stand next to her.

"Oh, don't bother with her, Padfoot. Evans is just sore because she can't perform the entire play by herself and make it perfect." James jumped in. "She has to deal with us, incompetent fools."

"I'm glad you recognize your own idiocy. Now, the play?"

"Yes, about the play. It's a bit depressing, eh? What, with the two lovers killing themselves . . . I say, we tweak it just a bit. What d'you say Evans?" Sirius asked hopefully, swinging his arm over her shoulder.

"You can't go around changing _Shakespeare_!" she squeaked incredulously, instantly shifting her shoulder and causing Sirius' arm to fall.

Remus and James snorted, holding back snickers as Sirius frowned at them.

"How about just the part when I die? I think I should just gut the piece of filth and run off with a good-lookin' girl. Shakespeare really doesn't do Mercutio justice, just killing the poor chap off."

"No! For the last time, NO! You ca—_"_ she moaned, burying her head in her hands.

Sirius beamed, looking over at his two best friends, who happened to be quarreling softly.

"Prongs, don't be such a wanker. He isour friend. And you knowhow he can get. Cut her some slack and tell him to sod off." Remus urged, watching sympathetically as Lily struggled to regain control. "You are Head Boy, you know."

"She's never going to be able to control all those students if she can't even handle some innocent teasing from Padfoot. I'm helping her out, mate. Honestly, I am. She's just too worried about telling him off in front of all these people. If we were alone, she'd have absolutely no problem. Evans has got to shed her whole insecurity deal." He insisted.

Remus nodded in response, though he couldn't help but feel a bit remorseful for the stressed red-head.

"So, Evans. How 'bout we shove Romeo over here off the garden wall and Mercutio will run off with Juliet . . . I mean, come on. Would you choose a dull sissy like Romeo or a hot stud like me – I _mean_ Mercutio?" Sirius pushed, grinning suggestively.

She shot him a tense look, her eyes a dark jade.

"Or we could ju—_"_ he began; fully delighting in testing Lily's every nerve.

"_Petrificus Totalus."_ She muttered, pointing her outstretched wand at the arrogant nuisance of a Black.

He crashed to the floor, his arms and legs attached stiffly together, his body rigid against the hard wood floor. An eerie silence spread through the Great Hall. No one dared to mess with Lily Evans when it came to magic.

"Now . . . does anyone else have anything to say? Any problems with the play, any insatiable needs to further irritate me?" she addressed the gaping students, her voice soaked in bitter sweetness. "No? Then how about we continue reading?"

The students rushed to find a seat, pages rustling furiously as they searched for the correct page. Sirius, his entire body still petrified on the floor, glared at Lily, who blew him a kiss teasingly.

James caught Remus' eyes, a condescending expression on his face. One that clearly said 'I-told-you-so', which Remus promptly returned by sticking out his tongue at James.

He loved being right, loved the satisfaction of it all. He knew how aggravated Lily could become, as well as what lengths she would go to just to get rid of that source of irritation. He knew how self-conscious she was, how she wanted to make a good impression, be a good example for the other students.

But no one could hold it together forever. And James Potter delighted in breaking that collected mask she struggled so hard to maintain. Call it crude curiosity, boredom, call it whatever you want. James – he called it fun. Bother her enough and you had one crazily peeved witch on your hands. Insulting, publicly humiliating, hexing . . . her temper was uncontrollable. Being on the receiving end of her temper dozens of times, as dangerous as it was – he had to admit, was rather addicting.

There was something about her that provoked him to push her buttons. Perhaps it was her renowned rage or her skill with a wand . . . or something else. Either way, he took immense pleasure out of getting a rise out of her. It was a strange feeling, which coursed through him when they clashed -- staring deep into those gorgeous lit up pools of green.

* * *


	9. Sleepless Nights

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* * *

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Sleepless Nights**

_Love lights more fires than hate can extinguish. _-- Ella Wheeler-Wilcox

* * *

Lily blearily gazed out of the transparent window at a thin crescent hanging in the hazy night sky. Her eyes drooped, threatening to close until the moon was long gone and replaced by a bright ball of fire shooting flaming arrows of heat through the windowpane.

"C'mon Lily, take a break." Charlotte pleaded, as Lily sat stiffly in the wooden chair, her Astronomy charts scattered around her on the table. "Kirsten went to sleep _hours_ago . . ."

"She doesn't have an endless stream of homework from her N.E.W.T classes, does she? Oh, my mistake. Kirsten Elizabeth Montello has **no **N.E.W.T classes and can afford to get her 12 hours of beauty sleep every night! So good for her, I say. Good for her."

"Sleep, Lily. Have you ever heard about it? You know, resting time, no studying, no thinking . . . do you even remember what a decent night's sleep feels like? Because I honestly don't think I do." Kira groused. "And If I don't with a few, then you definitely don't, what with your jam packed schedule of N.E.W.T classes."

Lily glanced up wearily, running a hand through her disheveled hair. Grunting, she continued to ignore the heavy bags forming underneath her eyes.

"Can't. God, how I loathe Astronomy . . ." she griped. "Go to sleep and I'll head back to my room soon. Promise."

"Pinky promise?" Charlotte asked, sticking out her smallest finger, while Kira followed suit.

Lily smiled tiredly, holding out her finger as they intertwined the three. Childish jokes seemed to be so far in the past. A wave of nostalgia washed over her, as she reminisced on the carefree days of nursery rhymes and silly finger games.

They bid her good night, leaving her alone with a table full of charts and opened textbooks.

A few minutes later, she lowered her head on pg. 135 of "Advanced Astronomy: A Guide to the Stars" by Basille Suter.

"Five minutes, that's all." She grumbled to herself as she immediately slunk into a deep euphoria of sleep. "Then I can start working again."

* * *

"Shhh . . . we can't wake anyone. Damn, what has Wormtail been eating? I think someone has had one too many chocolate chip cookies." Sirius grunted gruffly, as he, James, and Remus attempted to carry the snoring Peter up the staircase.

"You're one to talk. Remind me again, who's the one who is always first in line for deserts and seconds?" Remus joked quietly.

"Hey, I resent that. I'm a growing boy. I need my nourishment." He moped insistently.

"Stop yakking you two. We can't levitate him up the stairs, otherwise he'll crash. For once, I wish these bloody staircases weren't winding. It'd be so much simpler. We've got to lift him up. Those damned Slytherins." James muttered bitterly. "Wormtail didn't even have time to whip out his wand in defense. Cowardly, hexing a man with his back turned."

"Oy Prongs. Looks like we're not the only ones up at this ungodly hour. It's your **love**-r . . ." Sirius chuckled, emphasizing the word 'love' and grinning cheekily.

"Oh, stuff it. I'm in no mood to deal with Miss Prissy Pants. If we wake her, we'll have to deal with her getting all tattletale-y, deducting of points, assigning detentions, the usual." He complained grumpily.

Remus snorted, shaking off an icy glance from James.

"After I send Wormtail up to your room, I'm off to do that nasty Defense against the Dark Arts essay. Four pieces of parchment, due tomorrow. I've got no time to deal with Evans. Let's just leave her." James suggested, still moody.

"What a ladies man you are, Prongs. I can see why the women flock to you. You're so . . . charming, sensitive, caring." Remus said, the sarcasm apparent in his tone.

"What can I say? The girls? They love me." He replied confidently.

"All except for that one, you mean." He pointed to Lily, who had not moved since they had entered the Common Room.

"She doesn't count." He decided, carefully dragging the unconscious Peter up the stairs and flinging him onto his bed.

Remus plopped down on his bed, yawning tiredly.

"I'm off to sleep, chums. Wake me in the morning, if you get up before I do, I mean." He stretched lazily and buried himself in the covers, closing the blinds with swift motioning of his hands.

"Urmngmn . . . g'night." James mumbled, staggering down the stairs and out of the Gryffindor common room and towards the tower where the Head Boy and Girl resided.

Sirius sank into his bed, eyes wide open. He couldn't sleep a wink. Tossing and turning, trying to get into a comfortable position, counting sheep, counting dragons, counting _girls_, nothing worked. Perhaps he was just a night person. Or just maybe it could have been all those chocolate frogs he'd stolen from Remus and eaten after supper.

"I have two options. Lay here monotonously counting God knows what and listening to Peter's earthquake-like snoring, or grab some yummy munchies from the ever-generous house elves in the kitchen." He proposed to himself. "Such a difficult decision."

Sirius leaped up from the mattress, quietly tip-toeing down the staircase.

In the midst of crossing the common room, he noticed the slumbering Lily, still planted in the same spot the Marauders had left her before.

He glanced up at the clock placed upon the mantelpiece, its hands reading nearly two o'clock in the morning.

He sighed, inwardly cursing his weakness of yielding to beautiful women. He cautiously strode up to her, examining the charts scattered around her sleeping form.

"Astronomy." He identified, wincing as he noted that the chart was barely complete. "Ooh . . . not her best subject, I take it."

He observed her further, strands of red falling in front of her eyes and spilling onto the desk. He prodded her gently, as not to spark a dangerous reflexive reaction from her.

"Uhmn? Time?" she yawned, blearily rubbing her eyes and gazing around her.

"Nearly two, love." He responded, causing her to jump in her seat. "Had a nice rest, then?"

She groaned once she saw him, slamming her head upon the desk.

"Black? What are you doing up?" she asked, rummaging through the messy contents of the desk for her quill.

"Couldn't sleep. You?" he responded, handing her the eloquent feather pen.

"Let's see. Finishing up the Defense against the Dark Arts paper, studying for Flitwick's quiz, finishing the assigned outline of the chapter on villains for History of Magic, deciphering stuff for Ancient Runes, and trying to fill out this damned Astronomy chart for Professor Roe." She finished, leaving Sirius the dead-wringer of a goldfish.

"Bloody hell, Evans. You've got as much work as James!"

"Tell me about it. I've finished most of it, I just loathe Roe and her nonexistent ability to teach Astronomy properly."

"I completely agree. She's horrible at making it interesting. Luckily, Evans, you have me."

"Huh? I have you? Have you for what?" she looked around, bewildered and rather confused.

"To help you finish! What else?" he exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"B-but you're friends with Potter. And since it's extremely obvious that I dislike Potter, and that he can't stand me, why would you bother to help me? And since when have you been good at Astronomy?" she questioned skeptically.

"Since forever, Evans. Since forever. And in case you haven't noticed, James and I are not the same person. We're not joined at the hip, you know."

"Really? Could've fooled me. Actually, I thought you two shared a brain . . . or half a brain at least."

"Insult me, why don't you? Fine, if you want to stay up until four trying to figure it out without me, I'd be _happy_ going back to bed. Tootles. Sweet dreams, if you ever go to sleep that is." He pretended to turn away, hurt and headed up the stairway.

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry. Now, will you help me? Please?" she begged, jumping up from the wooden chair and tugged the sleeve of his robe towards the cluttered table.

"Of course, milady. I **never** refuse a pretty girl. Ooh, this is such a momentous occasion. I, Sirius Black, have actually been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help Lily Evans with her homework. I'd like to thank my friends and Professor Dumble— **ouch**!"

He had been in the middle of giving his mock speech to the empty common room, right before Lily slapped him sharply on the back of the head.

"Geesh, Evans. Violent little firecracker, aren't we?" he grinned, looking down at her disapproving face, which quickly changed to an equally bright grin.

"Let's just get this over with, shall we? Okay, so where do we start . . ."

Lily sat down, pulling her chair towards the table. Sirius brandished his wand and conjured a slightly more comfortable chair, before straddling it and resting his crossed arms on the back side of the seat.

To Lily's surprise, he was quite a lot of help, save the little distracting jokes he was constantly making. But then again, he was Sirius Black, and one could only expect so much . . . seriousness while working.

Oddly enough, he reminded her of the jocular, playful older brother she had never had. What with Petunia's seething hatred of her "freakish" ways, she had never really had someone to laugh with, aside from her closest friends. It was strange, being able to poke fun at each other, while his best friend was her worst nightmare.

Who'd have thought?

"Oh, about that whole . . . body-bind situation . . . sorry." She apologized, fiddling around with her quill tip.

"S'okay. All is forgiven. I guess I deserved it, even though I still think Mercutio should slay Tybalt and save you two rash lovers from horrible deaths."

"Ah, but sir, where's the romance in that?"

"Right. Scratch that idea. I'll spear Tybalt through the heart and run off with fair Juliet." He declared, winking suggestively.

"Take thy friend's lover, eh?"

"But miss, Friend doesth not deserve fair maiden's heart. Nay, he is too clueless to notice the lady's worth." Sirius fumbled at his attempts to be poetic, which Lily thought were actually quite amusing.

"Then make him, I say. Teach the blind to see, and the cold hearted to love." She proposed, completely oblivious to her role as the "fair-maiden" and James' part as the clueless "friend" in their conversation.

And she was said to be smart. When it comes to love, even the most intelligent are fools. This was just the case.

"You know what, you just might be right." He muttered to himself, as Lily scribbled in the last bit of information on her chart.

She threw her hands up in triumphant success.

"FINALLY! I'm done! Thank you so much, Sirius!" she bounced up, jumping on her tiptoes and wrapping her thin arms around his neck in a friendly embrace.

"No problem. You called me Sirius. Now that's a first." He remarked, smirking.

"Well, when you help me without expecting anything in return, you most definitely get some 'cool' points in my book."

"No need, Lily. I got plenty to spare. I _exude_ coolness." He pointed out, leaning casually against the wall while Lily gathered her things.

"Are you sure you and Potter don't share a brain? Because that sounded awfully cocky to me." She responded coolly, looking up at him, her arms full of Astronomy charts and gigantic textbooks.

"Hey, can you blame me?" he stared, gesturing confidently.

"No, of course not, oh flawless one." she motioned, lowering her arms in mock-praise after she had loaded her nearly overflowing bag full of stuff.

"I sense a hint of sarcasm." He noted obviously.

She shot him a disbelieving look, making sure whether or not he was dim enough to have looked over her blatantly obvious sarcastic comment. When she saw his cheery visage, she broke out into a smile, playfully swatting at his arm.

"You're hopeless, Sirius. Just plain hopeless."

He let his jaw fall, pounding his hand heavily upon his heart. Staggering back, he acted as if he'd been shot, stumbling onto the velvet loveseat and emitting a gruesome groan.

Lily rolled her eyes humorously and headed towards the portrait hole, desperate for her own bed in the Head's tower.

"Hey! Aren't you going to check to see if I'm alright? You did shoot me, after all." He asked, still lying languidly among the pillows.

"No. I think I'll just leave you to die there. But thanks for all the help. Tootles!" she replied, her voice bubbly and lighthearted, fighting back giggles.

"Women. They're heartless and cruel, I tell you." He muttered to himself, picking himself up and ambling up the stairs.

* * *

"Oy, Padfoot! Class in fifteen minutes!" Remus hollered, simultaneously hopping on one foot as he attempted to put on his socks.

"Urmn . . . five more minutes, mum." Sirius mumbled, pressing a pillow over his heads and curling himself into a ball on his bed.

"Damn it, Padfoot! Argos is going to maim us if we're late and the play can't go on without its Romeo!" James cursed, grasping Sirius' ripe feet and dragging his body off the edge of the mattress. "Plus, Evans will have a fit if I get a detention, what with me being Head Boy and all. Honestly, I think it's more trouble than it's worth."

James and Remus hoisted Sirius up from the ground and tossed him into the bathroom, while Peter violently spun the shower knob. Icy cold water spewed out, dousing Sirius with a frigid shock that seemed to be much more effective than an alarm clock.

The trio scampered out before they could face his wrath and leaped down the stairs, chortling lightheartedly.

Sooner or later, Sirius emerged, hair tousled and tie loosely hung around his neck. He staggered down the steps, holding onto the handrail for support.

"So . . . I take it you're tired." Peter pointed out, while the other boys snickered.

Sirius shot them a weary glare and shook back his disheveled head of hair. Miraculously, it fell into place in front of his eyes, looking as if he had spent hours trying to achieve its perfect quality.

Lucky for them, they were all relatively in shape, allowing them to make a last minute sprint to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. They promptly took their seats at the back, just before Professor Argos strolled in, a sneer upon his face.

"I see you boys cut it unusually close. Should I buy you a watch, perhaps? Or would you like an invitation?" he spat, the intense dislike apparent on his grotesque features.

"No, that won't be necessary, Professor. But if you're willing to offer, I wouldn't be one to decline." Sirius retorted, taking his usual lax position on his seat.

The class chuckled, including, James noticed, a striking red-head two rows in front of them. The Professor merely sneered and rapped his knuckles against a desk, demanding attention.

Lily looked back, catching Sirius' eye and rolling her own, a smile parting her lips. He smirked in response, raising his hands in an innocent gesture.

The rest of the Marauders, who, as usual, decided not to pay attention to the Professor's snarling voice, noticed this friendly exchange between them. Especially a certain Head Boy with muddled hair and round glasses.

And he pouted the entire lesson, eyes flecked with green.

* * *

"Hey, Sirius!" she called, running after him, pile of books cradled in her arms.

The Marauders spun around, watching curiously as she approached, her friends tagging along.

"Woah. You all turned around. Like whistling for a dog and getting the whole kennel." She remarked, surprised at the nervous glances they shot each other.

"Oh Lily, are you fully aware that you're insulting the legendary Marauders by referring to us as a kennel of dogs?" Sirius asked, hiding the uncomfortable feeling of the situation at hand.

"Oh my! No, I wasn't. Condemn me to hell . . . for I have crossed **the** Marauders." She dramatized, holding the back of her hand up to her forehead. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for all your help yesterday. I really wouldn't have gotten any sleep without it."

"No problem, Lily. Just don't expect it every night, okay?" he teased, while she playfully slapped his shoulder.

She walked away, while Kira lagged behind to pat Sirius on the head and nodded approvingly.

"Good job, Sirius. You actually thought of someone other than yourself." Charlotte acknowledged, before hurrying to catch up to Lily and Kira.

"I know, I know. I'm a bloody god." He bellowed down the hallway, though the girls did not hear him.

The rest of the Marauders gaped at him, fought back a glare, in James' case.

"So, Padfoot, feel like telling us what happened between you and Lily?" Remus asked nosily.

"Not really, but I'll tell you anyway because I'm such a magnanimous person. I helped the poor girl with her homework, we teased and laughed a bit, and off to bed we went."

"WHAAAT?" James sputtered, eyes suddenly magnified.

"_Separate_ beds, oh jealous one. Separate dormitories, as well." Sirius clarified. "Don't get so bleeding angry, mate. She went to the Head's tower after she was done."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not angry." James remarked coolly, regaining his casualness from his recent outburst. "I don't give a damn what goes on in Evans' life."

Peter snickered, causing Remus and Sirius to burst into uproarious laughter.

"Prongs, perhaps you should just admit it. Everyone but you and Evans have realized it by now." Peter suggested, still recovering from his snickering fit.

"Realize what, Wormtail? That we can't stand each other? And that she would even give Padfoot a chance to prove that he's a decent fellow before me? I think I've realized that."

"If you say so."

* * *

"Attention! Attention students!" Minerva McGonagall demanded, slightly annoyed by the lack of cooperation she was receiving. "ATTENTION!"

The sounds of students in the Great Hall faded, allowing her to speak freely.

"Thank you. Professor Harris has requested that all students in the play come to the Great Hall tomorrow, which would be Saturday, at 9 o'clock sharp. That is all."

Once McGonagall had sat down and given a finalizing nod, the noise resumed, as loud as ever.

"I can't believe you didn't tell us you were auditioning for the Nurse!" Charlotte moped, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I didn't think I would actually get the part!" she explained avidly.

"Oh, honestly. What a load of horse manure. You're a damn good actress, Kira. Getting out of detentions, being all dramatic in front of your parents, cozying up to Shawn Mackenzie so he'll help you with your Divination homework . . . I'd be surprised if you didn't get the part." Lily stated smugly.

"I do not cozy up to Shawn Mackenzie. I simply exaggerate my kind and caring nature when I have a particularly difficult assignment that I don't particularly feel like doing on my own." She insisted, winking.

"Tsk tsk, m'dear. Shame on you." Charlotte chided, grinning.

"Hey. He's not complaining. I'm not complaining. At least the work gets done and I get high marks, right?"

Lily and Charlotte glanced skeptically at each other, right before the three burst into hysterical laughter.

"Stop looking over there, Prongs. Or she'll know!" Peter whispered, noticing the object of James' distraction sitting further down the table.

"Looking over where, exactly? Who'll know?" James asked confusedly, while popping a carrot into his open maw.

* * *

"Poor bloke. He still hasn't admitted it. You know, all this denial is going to get you nowhere in life." Sirius commented, vigorously shoveling mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"Maybe you should be addressing good ole Moony over there. He's a tad more distracted than I." he pointed out, noticing that a certain end of the Gryffindor table had held Remus captivated for quite some time.

Peter, seated next to Remus, caught on and roughly prodded him in the side.

"Ow! And that was for?" Remus inquired, slightly goaded.

"Don't tell me you've taken a sudden interest in our dear sweet Lily over there!" Sirius scrutinized Remus' facial expression.

Once again, the green branched through his eyes, netted green spindles of thread in a sea of hazel. James gazed intently at Remus, tensely awaiting his response.

"Don't be an arse. Of course not. Lily's like a best friend or a younger sister. Any romantic feelings for her whatsoever would just be . . . awkward." He explained, color rising to his pale cheeks.

Exhaling, he returned to his slouched position. It was strange, how easily he tensed up, though he couldn't begin to guess the reason why. _Stress_, James decided. _Simply stress. _

"Well then, now that that slight misunderstanding has been clarified, we'll revert back to interrogating Prongs. Any undying confessions of love you're willing to make?" Sirius prodded.

"For who? Lily Evans? More like undying confessions of intense dislike." He snorted, slightly miffed. "I don't have time for this. I've got an Arithmacy essay to finish."

He swung his leg over the wooden bench and took a last swig of Pumpkin juice from his flask before ambling out of the Great Hall.

"Impossible, that one is." Sirius sighed.

"On a brighter note, he did say undying confessions of intense _dislike_, rather than loathing or hatred." Peter pointed out, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Wormtail! Bloody brilliant. You're absolutely right. Mates, we're wearing him down."


	10. Burdens of a Conscience

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Burdens of a Conscience**

_You will know the real meaning of love when you fall in love. _-- A.Terance Dinesh

* * *

"Oh for goodness sake, Mr. Boffa. The line is, '_God pardon sin! Wast thou with Rosalin_e?' not an inaudible muffle emitting from that moving mouth of yours." Professor Harris scolded, covering her frustrated features with the palm of her hand, fingers curled over so slightly over the edge of her face. "This is not rocket science, people."

"Remind me again, professor, what _rogget sigh-lence_ is again . . . It may have slipped my mind for a bit." A rather dull looking boy inquired, scratching his head barbarically.

"Just forget about it, Mr. Mitchell. Just forget about it." She heaved, muttering through her stumpy fingertips.

The boy shrugged and continued his pathetic attempts to memorize his lines. The exhausted Professor sighed, scanning the room for any signs of incompetence or trouble. She had divided up the cast into different practice groups, blobs of students according to their importance in the play. It was supposed to be a methodical, ingenious plan, flawless and success-guaranteed.

She should've known better. She should've known that nothing is flawless, and nothing is ever a doubtless success. And that was the poor professor's mistake.

"Potter! We need to memorize these lines! Stop your sluggish lounging around and actually put some effort into something for a change." Lily snapped furiously.

He remained laid back on the table's smooth surface, one knee bent while the other hung slightly off the edge. His chest rose and fell with each breath, calm and steady.

"I put effort into many things, for your information." He drawled, lazily covering his face with the opened book.

"Oh really. Why don't you enlighten me? Name one." She challenged, eyes glinting savagely.

"Alright, then. I will." He retorted, rising from his reclined position and entering a astute thinking pose. "I put effort in . . . pranking . . . playing Quidditch . . . aaaand . . . annoying the hell out of you, m'dear."

"Oh, indeed Potter. Those things are just so important that they need an extra amount of effort, as opposed to Head Boy duties, which are _quite_ expendable."

"Too true, though in case you haven't gotten a spare moment to notice, I have been holding up my end of the deal. You, on the other hand, have failed to abandon your incessant nagging. Really, Evans, a deal's a deal."

"Ha! Holding up your end of the deal, my arse. But that's beside the point. We need to memorize lines."

"Really, Evans? Because I thought we were just going to keep arguing over a subject that is _clearly_tilted in my favor."

"Shut it."

Silence ensued, James still lying on the table while Lily stared at him, an aggravated glare on her face.

"Well? Are you going to read your line or what? We're wasting time." She blurted out, her hands rested upon her hips.

"I thought you told me to _shut it_? I was just following orders . . ." he smirked, meeting her bright orbs with his calm ones.

"GAH! You're absolutely infuriating! I can't do this! I thought I could, but I can't. I just want to . . ."

"Want to what, Evans? Snog me senseless?" he winked suggestively. "I've heard that's quite popular with you ladies."

"Oh GOD, no! Pompous pig. I would rather die a thousand deaths than touch you, let alone kiss you."

"Well that's a real confidence booster." He muttered sardonically.

"It's not like you need any more, Potter. Confidence, that is. You're practically drowning in it."

"Wh—" James opened his mouth to respond, but was abruptly cut off by Professor Harris' arrival.

"How are your lines coming along? The rest of these scalawags aren't doing so well, and I'm hoping that you two will help change that. Maybe if they see you getting along and showing dedication towards the play, it'll inspire them to put in a bit more passion into their performances." She explained, completely oblivious to the guilt-ridden faces in front of her.

Lily glanced at James, whose face was equally filled with culpability. He shrugged his shoulders at her, nodding his head for her to speak.

"Erm . . . it's coming along . . . there are a lot of lines to memorize, but I'm sure Pott—James and I can manage." Lily told her, crossing her fingers behind her back, her childish habit when she was forced to stretch the truth.

"That's wonderful. I knew you'd get along magnificently. The connection between you is just _perfect_ for this play." She cooed. "I have great confidence in the both of you. By all means, carry on."

Lily and James both tried desperately hard to hide their disbelieving looks. _She's crazy, I tell you,_Lily thought, her cheeks sporting a tinge of pinkness.

Sirius, Remus, and Kira, who were practicing lines a few tables away snickered, clearly aware of the irony in the Professor's praises.

* * *

An unidentifiable feeling nagged at Lily's conscience as she exited the Great Hall after rehearsals. If you could call arguing with James Potter for over 2 hours, a rehearsal, that is.

What was it? Stress? Exhaustion? Or guilt?

Guilt. Her mind was overwhelmed with it. She had delivered obviously wrong information, given the trusting professor a false sense of security. Harris thought that her chosen Romeo and Juliet were the perfect people for the corresponding parts. The two people in Hogwarts who had a real connection, who could manage to convey the deep love between the characters to the audience of fellow students and Ministry of Magic officials.

_She's no where further from the truth_, Lily thought, sighing heavily. _Potter and I . . . well, we're probably the worst people who could've been chosen – ever. _

Lily hated disappointing people. She absolutely dreaded the feeling of letting down people who were sincerely counting on her. And she would do almost anything to avoid that heart-wrenching emotion at the pit of her stomach that she got when they looked at her with saddened eyes – even if it meant spending more time with someone she couldn't stand being around without hexing.

"Potter! I need to talk to you." She called out, her voice timid.

James looked up, stopping his conversation with Zeno Boffa, the 2nd year Hufflepuff playing Friar Lawrence.

With one last whisper and head nod, James sent Zeno down the hall and sauntered over to Lily, who shrank as he approached.

"You called?" he said expectantly, confusion riddling his handsome features.

She forcefully grabbed his arm, dragging him into an empty classroom across the hall. Poking her head outside the door, she nudged it closed and turned to face him.

"My my, Evans. I had no idea you wanted me this badly." He pushed her shoulder gently and wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

"Don't make me vomit, Potter. I rather enjoyed my breakfast and don't really care to lose it." She retorted scathingly, causing James to wince slightly.

"Sorry. What is it you wanted to talk about, then?"

She stared at him for a moment, partially out of shock for the sincerity of his apology. She caught herself, remembering that it was James Potter who was delivering this fraud line. That's all it was, a line.

"Well, I highly doubt that you felt the least bit guilty for fighting when the professor is counting on us to pull this off, but I did. And I just thought . . . maybe we could . . . oh god, this is going to be bloody hard . . ."

"You just thought that we could get along. At least for the remaining duration of the play, so that we wouldn't make Hogwarts look like a crap school and wouldn't make complete fools out of ourselves. Am I right?" he finished for her.

Her emerald eyes grew wider, then narrowed unbelievingly.

"Alright, who are you and what did you do with the _real_ Potter?" she poked his shoulder roughly.

"Haha. Very amusing. As hard as it may be to believe me, I too felt a pang of guilt, considering we are the Head Boy and Girl and we still haven't managed to settle differences after 7 years of being fellow Gryffindors." He insisted, massaging the spot where she had poked him.

"I'm sorry. For saying you don't put any effort into anything you do, for insulting you, for everything, I guess. I have no right to judge you. Hell, I don't even know you." She apologized, flinching at the simplicity of submitting herself to saying sorry to James Potter.

"W-wait . . . did you just apologize . . . to me?" he did a double-take, gaping incredulously at her.

She nodded, groaning inwardly. _Great, now the big-headed prat side of Potter will be revealed,_ she thought. _Oh wait, **every** side of Potter is big-headed. My mistake. _

"There's only one thing I can say to that. I'm sorry, as well. Probably sorrier than you are, considering I've done many more horrible things to you." He grinned. "Not that they weren't fun. You've got to know, Evans. You're an awfully easy person to bother."

"So, I've heard. It's agreed then? We keep our arguing, disputing, and hating quiet until after the play is finished." She hesitantly extended her hand.

He shrugged, smirked and took her hand, shaking it.

"As simple as that was, I have a looming feeling that this is going to be much more difficult." James told her as he held the door of the classroom open, motioning for her to pass through.

"Tell me about it." She grumbled, stalking swiftly out of the room.

* * *

For once, the Head Boy and Girl were not fighting, not arguing, not at each other's throats. Needless to say, the students dining in the Great Hall were shocked. They quickly thought nothing of it and decided to enjoy the strange peace while it lasted.

This wasn't very long, considering the event that followed the evening meal.

Lily was sitting off to the side of the Gryffindor Common room, away from the Marauders, who were currently occupying the couches in front of the fire. In front of her lay her Ancient Runes homework. She was poring over it frantically, occasionally blowing a few stray hairs out of her face.

James entered through the portrait hole, carrying his massive stack of textbooks and rumpled papers. He made his way over to her table, vision slightly hindered by the volumes in his arms. He finally reached the table, slamming the weighty books upon the hard surface.

She gazed up, a hint of irritation flashing in her eyes before reverting back to her composed form.

"Evans, I was just wondering if you could patrol the school alone tonight. We could split up the shifts, I guess. If you could let me have the earlier one, that would be great. I have prior engagements that I mustattend to. What do you say, Evans?" James asked nonchalantly, though he knew Lily would be less than pleased.

Turns out, he was right.

"Potter! I thought you were going to handle your Head Boy duties! Why can't you patrol?" she exploded, eyes fired and glaring.

"Erm . . . I can't exactly tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Sworn to secrecy my arse. You're such a _liar_! I bet you're just going to snog some girl. Or go gallivanting with your little group of miscreants. I promised not to yell at you and cause a disruption, so I won't. Unlike _some_ people, I don't break my promises." She collected her books and stormed off, huffily.

He abandoned his load at the empty table and threw himself onto one of the couches, extending his feet lazily and yawning loudly.

"Now look at what you did, Prongs! You've upset your soul mate, and every sane person knows you can't go on doing that!" Remus joked.

"Mate, where are you off to tonight anyway? I know we're not doing anything pressing on the account of Moony and his damned homework, but . . ." Sirius began, realization dawning on his face. "Unless Lily was correct in accusing you of sneaking off to a secluded spot simply to snog. Who is it? Does she have a _friend_?"

"No one, you idiot! If you must know, which I don't think you do . . . that 2nd year, Zeno Boffa, the Italian Hufflepuff boy playing Friar Lawrence, is having some issues with his part. He's a brilliant actor, I've seen that. The way he speaks, the way he can bring life to the words, it's amazing. He just can't seem to memorize lines or get over his stage fright. So I offered to help him out." James explained tiredly, running a stray hand through his messy head of hair.

"Oh. Bloody hell, Prongs! Why didn't you just tell her that? Lord knows it would've saved everyone a bit of trouble, not to mention help avoid another quarrel between you two." Peter asked, curiously awaiting James' response.

James shrugged imperturbably, adding, "He told me to keep it a secret. I guess he's ashamed. And you guys _know_ I can't break that promise. I wouldn't be telling you, if I didn't trust you to keep it a secret."

"Right. If only Lily knew that you're only trying to help someone else." Remus pondered.

"It doesn't matter. She still thinks I'm the immature prat that asked her out constantly and pranked everyone in Slytherin for the hell of it in 5th year."

"She wouldn't if she knew that you've matured slightly. That we've all matured slightly." Peter suggested.

"Even Sirius. Seeing how he is now, it's hard to imagine how he was when he was immature . . ." Remus nodded, grinning.

"Huh? What? Eh?" Sirius looked around confusedly, a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean stuck up his nostril.

The boys burst into fits of laughter, while Sirius determinedly attempted to dislodge the bean from the inside of his nose.

* * *

"He's such a pompous presumptuous jerk. Telling me he's sorry, telling me how he felt guilty and thought we should try to get along. Bollocks!" Lily fumed, crossing the Common Room in a flurry.

"I'm assuming this 'pompous presumptuous jerk' you're referring to is none other than James." A voice remarked indifferently.

Lily spun around to see Sirius lying on the couch, _Quidditch through the Ages_hanging loosely from his hands.

"And you say that why? Perhaps it's the fact that he's probably snogging some air-headed twit instead of patrolling like he promised he would do. Or maybe it's the fact that he doesn't care about anyone but himself and his own bloody games!" she hissed scathingly. "So what makes you think that I am talking about Potter?"

"Wrong on both counts, m'lady. I reached this obvious conclusion because of the accepted fact that a) he is the one person you rant about the most, b) who else could anger you so easily? And c) you'd give everyone else a chance to explain themselves; everyone except James." He told her bluntly.

"Whaaat? That is so . . . untrue!" she stammered, shocked by Sirius' unconcealed honestly.

"You said he doesn't care about anyone but himself. If you say that, you obviously don't know James Potter very well. Honestly, he's one of the most caring people I've ever met. Just because he doesn't broadcast all the selfless things he does to the world, doesn't mean he never does them."

"B-but, he's always so arrogant. You'd think he'd want to get recognition for these _supposed_ good deeds."

"You see, Lily, that's the thing about James. You know him, to some extent at least. He'll boast about practically anything – Quidditch, N.E.W.T scores, natural talent. But when he helps people, when he gives up his valuable time for someone else or just does something strangely heroic, he simply _refuses_ to tell anyone. Except us, that is. It's just in his nature."

She beckoned him to continue, gazing intently into his stormy gray eyes. They were so honest, trying so hard to convince her of the decency of his best friend.

"He's not into recognition for those types of things. In his own words, the act itself is self-gratifying. It's as if James doesn't even need people to know about it because that isn't important, when in actuality, it is. It's the kind of genuine sense of humanity that no one ever notices. Haven't you ever wondered why people respect him? Why they listen to him? It's because they know what kind of person he is. They know that despite all the immature things he's done, all the stupid, worthless pranks we've played over the years, he'll always be there – no matter what."

There was silence. Sweet golden silence, as Lily contemplated the foreign concept that James Potter could possibly be a decent person.

"Erm . . . I have to patrol. G'night." She stumbled, trudging out of the portrait hole and into the empty corridor, her head buzzing with unfinished thoughts.

* * *

"Actually, I caught this ruffian snogging some hot young thing in a nearby broom closet, and I was just accompanying him back to the Common Room, just to be safe." A smooth voice resounded through the hallway. "We wouldn't want him wreaking more havoc on the slumbering students of this fine establishment, now would we Mr. Grimes."

"I'm watching you, Potter. You may have slipped past the Headmaster's watchful eye, but we warned. You won't avoid mine that easily." The cranky caretaker advised, shaking a crooked finger at James.

"Dutifully noted, Mr. Grimes. Now, if you'll excuse me, this rule-breaker must be severely punished." James snuck a wink at the younger boy while the old man had turned to hack a cough out of his throat. "Shame about abolishing those old torture instruments, isn't it?"

"Don't get cheeky, Potter. Take the boy and get to bed. Your position as Head Boy doesn't give you free access to the entire school at any and all hours, you know. So scram!" he croaked, shoving James away.

Grimes, the cantankerous caretaker, turned his back and tottered away, unaware the James had saluted him mockingly, causing Zeno to shake with laughter.

"C'mon, kid. Let's go." James suggested, nudging him on the shoulder after the caretaker's footsteps had faded into the silence of the night.

The 2nd year nodded and lumbered up the stairs, James glancing around warily before following suit. Unbeknownst to him, so did another student, one with staggeringly emerald eyes watching him curiously.

They reached the entrance to the Hufflepuff Common Room, where Zeno sent him a look of reverence and gratitude.

"Hey, James?" he squeaked meekly.

"Yeah, kid?" he responded, nodding to show his attention.

"Thanks for everything. You're not as bad as Lily Evans says you are." He smiled, giggling nervously.

James chuckled, unperturbed by the information. It was almost expected by now.

"Really? What does Evans say about me?"

"Well, I just heard that she doesn't like you very much. That you don't care about anyone, you're self-centered, egotistical, arrogant . . ." he listed before James stopped him. "But, you're not. After hearing all these things about you, I didn't expect you to even acknowledge my presence, let alone offer to help me. And I just wanted to say thanks. I think you're a damned good Head Boy."

"Thanks. You're pretty keen yourself. Let me know if you need any more help, okay?" James offered, sending him a warm smile and ruffling his hair in a brotherly sort of way.

Zeno nodded understandingly and turned towards the portrait, while James sauntered down the hallway, towards the Head's Tower.

Lily blinked a few times, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to think.

A part of her wanted to believe that he was still the same old Potter, that there was some reward he had to be reaping from helping the young Hufflepuff. There must've been. The James Potter she knew wouldn't sacrifice time for anyone.

Then again, she didn't really know him, now did she?

She continued down the hallway, thoughts swarming in her head, the silence providing a calm atmosphere with little distraction – which just happened to be just what she wanted at the moment.

Perhaps Sirius was right after all . . .

* * *


	11. Confessions & Confounding Thoughts

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* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Confessions & Confounding Thoughts**

_We cannot really love anybody with whom we cannot laugh. _-- Agnes Repplier

* * *

Lily stared up into the ever-changing fluffs floating in the air above her, flaming hair spread around her head on the grass. It was _nice_, the cool blades brushing gently against her neck.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Kira offered, staring quizzically at Lily's stolid expression.

"For every one of these thoughts," Lily pointed to her head, closing her eyes momentarily. "You'd have to pay far more than that to comprehend the workings of my mind."

"Two Knuts, then?" Kira suggested jokingly.

Lily chuckled, folding her arms across her stomach. Then, silence. A few minutes later, Lily's meek voice penetrated the tranquility.

"Am I a horrible person? Tell me honestly." Lily inquired, sitting up abruptly.

"You must be joking, Lily. You're one of the nicest people I know. Good hearted, caring, loyal . . ." Charlotte responded, intending to continue the long list of positive attributes Lily seemed to possess.

"You _idiot_. You're not still going on about James Potter and how guilty you're feeling for yelling at him, are you?" Kira asked irritably.

"Maybe I am. It's just . . . he didn't deserve it that time. He really didn't."

"So go apologize. If you really feel that guilty, stop being so mean to him. Wasn't it _you_who proposed a truce in the first place? Well, this isn't very truce-like. Either way, he probably forgot about it." She remarked wisely.

"But what if he didn't?"

"You won't know unless you talk to him. By the way, aren't you late for your tutoring session?" Charlotte reminded her, standing up and brushing the pieces of grass that clung to her robes.

"Damn! I forgot." Lily exclaimed, rushing off towards the school. "Why didn't you remind me earlier?"

"Oh, 'twas my mistake, Master. I didn't realize that I needed to keep track of all your activities. Can you ever forgive me?" Charlotte hollered sarcastically as Lily sprinted away.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll manage to find someway to repay me! Make my bed and have a mint lying on my pillow, perhaps?" Lily spun around, jogging backwards and winking to her two friends.

"The girl is hopeless." Kira muttered, laughing heartily.

* * *

Lily wrenched on the handle, cheeks flushed as she entered the cool Charms classroom and fanned her face.

"You're late, Lily!" a boy muttered, feigning irritation.

"I realize that. Just think of it as payback for all those times you kept me waiting." She responded coolly, sitting down across the table and brandishing her wand.

"C'mon. I had good excu—I mean, reasons, for being a tad bit behind schedule." He insisted, also pulling out his wand. "You _have_ to believe me. I mean, would I lie to you?"

"You're beginning to sound like a certain Gryffindor who's obsessed with himself. I've had one too many encounters with that one. Perhaps he's rubbing off his bothersome little habits on you."

"You're talking about James Potter, aren't you?"

"Zeno, do you know any other Gryffindor narcissists around here?"

"He's not that bad, Lily. Honestly, he isn't. I don't know why you dislike him so much. I mean, if you've ever actually talked to the guy, he's a rather decent fellow."

"I guess you're somewhat correct, but he has yet to prove that to me. He's shown that he can harbor actual feelings of compassion towards others, but I'm still quite skeptical about it all. Would you like me to continue, or am I boring you?"

"Please do. I am here to serve, m'lady. So by all means, continue."

"Right. I'll tell you the truth, merely because you are a trustworthy person and we've known each other since I had to shove you through the passageway at King's Cross. You've been like the troublesome little brother I've never had, so I trust you to cut all the crap and give me your honest opinion, mingled with a bit of advice if you have any to offer. If you dare repeat the details of this conversation to any other living soul, I swear to Merlin that you will not live to regret it. Got that?"

Zeno's eyes grew wide and he gulped, yet nodded encouragingly.

"To tell you the truth, I feel like a dreadful human being for always being so inhumanly horrid to Potter. I keep tell myself that I'm going to make a conscious effort to be civil towards him, but every time he even says something, I forget about everything I said."

He motioned for her to continue, so she took a deep breath and poured it all out. Something about the young boy made him seem so easy to talk to – so impartial – and slow to judge, something Lily felt she desperately needed.

"I know I'm always scolding him for being such a bullying git, but in actuality, I think someone deep inside me knows that I'm _much_ worse than he is. He dislikes the Slytherins for an extremely petty reason, just like I dislike him for an equally petty reason. I'm no better than he is, yet I've been pretending that I'm on this gilded, raised platform of higher morals and principles the entire time. Really, I think I hate him so much, because he's something I could only aspire to be, but never actually achieve."

She exhaled, still amazed that she was admitting everything she'd ever thought about James Potter aloud.

"He's got this sort of raw talent and it irks me that he only uses half his brain for a good reason, while letting the other half go to waste through his pranks. I could never do that. I have to use every ounce of cleverness and brilliance that I may possess just to stay at the top. I could _never_ let loose, at least not without sacrificing this respectable, responsible reputation I've struggled so hard to perfect. Sometimes, I wish I could be more like him. I wish I didn't have to live up to these expectations of politeness and dependability. Being as carefree and spontaneous as he and his friend are . . . it's sometime I could only dream of."

"Wow. I had no idea. You hide it well. The only real piece of advice an inexperienced 2nd year such as myself would be able to give you is simply to observe James Potter. See how he does it. If you truly want to stop hating him, you've got to let go all your feelings and end this comparison that you keep making. Hopefully that'll be enough to trigger peace between the two of you."

Lily stared thoughtfully at him, absentmindedly tapping her cheek lazily with her wand.

People had given her the same advice before, but something about the way he put it – his words, his sincerity, his concern – it was somehow more convincing. Perhaps it was the simple fact that even he, a much younger, less experienced person, _immediately_ recognized her character flaw and how she could make amends for it. Or perhaps it was simply because one more time of hearing it was just what she needed to convince her. Either way, it worked.

She broke out into a broad smile, realization dawning on her face.

"You're an absolutely brilliant kid, if only you weren't such a stinker at Charms. Well, can't be good at everything, now can we? I'll try out your advice. Who knows, maybe you're right."

"Good. You two are some of the most fascinatingly entertaining people I've ever met, and it'd be a shame to see you continue this endless quarreling, when everyone _knows_ it's not what either of you truly wants. Let's get on with the instructing then, shall we? Chapter 5, cheering charms. Oh greaaat . . ."

Lily shot him a confused glance at his last insightful comment, but quickly dismissed her troubled thoughts in order to teach him how to perform a proper cheering charm.

_The kid is an absolute genius. Deathly clever, that boy. If only he could do an actual charm that actually worked_, she thought. _'It'd be a shame to see you continue this endless quarreling, when everyone knows it's not what either of you truly wants.' What either of us truly wants? I wonder what he meant by that._

* * *

"This is a rather large assignment. It can . . . oh, what's the expression those Muggles use . . . make or break . . . your final results in this class." Professor Aphidius announced, rubbing his hands together anxiously.

The class groaned, the clarity of the breezy autumn day cluttered by the Professor's disquieting news.

"Oh goodness. Give it a rest, all of you! You may work in pairs . . ." he muttered, less than pleased with the class' immediate reaction to his project.

"Hell yes! That's what I'm talking about! You're a decent man, Aphie." Sirius burst out, immediately standing up and placing a hand upon James' shoulder, implying their partnership.

"Hold it right there, Mr. Black. You didn't think I was _that _gullible, did you? Allowing you to be partners with our, Mr. Potter here? I think not. The groups will consist of one girl and one boy."

"Whaaat? That's not fair!" Sirius protested, his mouth hanging open as the class watched on, obviously amused.

"Life is never fair, Mr. Black. I suggest you deal with it. After I've finished explaining the assignment, choose your partners quickly, or I'll be sure to do it for you." He announced, the maliciousness in his last words sending slight chills throughout the greenhouse.

"Herbology was supposed to be the easy class." Sirius grumbled, leaning languidly against the table, completely disregarding the Professor's explanation.

"Tell me about it." Peter agreed. "Well, we might as well search for some semi-intelligent ladies, or we'll end up with half-wits who still think that photosynthesis is a way that Muggles develop film."

The Marauders agreed, all thinking to themselves what a bother the entire ordeal would turn out to be. And they were correct.

Minutes after Professor Aphidius finished his lengthy explanation, a group of giddy girls had crowded together, arguing over who would have the privilege of becoming partners with each Marauder.

"I'm with Sirius! I claim him!"

"No, I have dibs! I said he would be my partner a long time before you even came along. You can partner with Remus."

"No, she can't! I said I'd be with Remus. Be with Peter."

"As long as I get James as a partner, you girls can fight all you want."

"Sorry, honey, but James wouldn't be _your_ partner. You're doing horribly in this class. I'm sure he would want someone much more intelligent."

"I can't choose which one! Peter is the best at Herbology, right? I'll be with him."

"That's not fair. Why should you get to be with Peter and take the highest grade for yourself?"

James glanced over at the gathering of bickering ladies and rolled his eyes, then turning back to his friends and making the universal gag sign. Remus laughed, entirely amused by the situation. Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively, clearly pleased by the antics of the young ladies. They were Marauders and it was to be expected, considering their status at Hogwarts.

"See anyone you'd like to be partners with?" Remus inquired, scanning the room casually.

"Plenty, Remus old chap. The problem is, I'd prefer to get a decent mark on this. Considering my requirements, I'd say the selection is fairly small." Sirius analyzed, noting that the majority of girls fighting over them also happened to be the same half-wits that Peter had mentioned earlier.

James shrugged in response, his eyes lingering just a moment on a cluster of three Gryffindor girls who seemed both amused and disgusted by their female classmates. They talked amongst themselves, clearly impervious to the Marauder charm.

Just then, Peter was swept up by a domineering Ravenclaw, leaving three remaining Marauders for the girls to stake claim on.

"This is getting ridiculous. I'm choosing a partner." Remus remarked decidedly, casually rising from his seat and moving across the room.

"He's right, you know. I, for one, do not want to be stuck with some brainless twit. No matter _how_ bloody gorgeous she is." Sirius smirked.

* * *

"Lily, be my partner. Maybe you'd like to join me for a butterbeer sometime, as well." Derek Harrison, in Lily's opinion, a bothersome member of the Ravenclaw house, spoke.

"Erm . . . no, thanks. I think I've already got my partner in mind." She responded coldly, not bothering to look the guy in the face.

He trudged off, Lily barely acknowledging his presence in the first place.

"You've got someone in mind? Who?" Charlotte asked, not recalling anyone else asking Lily to be their partner.

"No one. I just don't think I could stand being paired up with that prat again. The lasttime I was with him, he kept trying to seduce me or something with his non-existent charm and degrading groping 'skills'. I can't handle that again." She muttered bitterly, eyes still narrowed in the direction of the squawking pack of girls.

"Look at them! It's so laughable, yet incredibly pathetic at the same time." Kira laughed, glancing over at the argument taking place just a few tables away.

"Agreed. It's just an assignment. It's not like they'll get to marry them or anything." Charlotte giggled, leaving the table to go talk to one of her Ravenclaw friends who had caught her eye.

Lily noticed from the corner of her eye that Derek was not giving up so easily and had begun to approach once more. She quickly scurried off, leaving the always unobservant Kira ranting to herself.

"They're deluded, that's all. All the bright people in this class have already found their partners or are avoiding the whole spat over the Marauders. You know, I almost have to feel sorry for the Marauders, knowing that they'll probably end up with some horridly dull cows who will be of absolutely no use whatsoever." Kira seethed, more to herself than anyone else.

"Yes, I sort of figured that out myself, which would explain my presence here." James inched into Kira's one-person conversation, flashing a friendly smile. "Now, if you would kindly explain why you're raving to yourself about the tribulations that my comrades and I are currently facing . . ."

"W-what? Well, if you _must_ know, I was talking to Charlotte and Lily, before they abandoned me without my knowledge and left me in a horribly embarrassing situation. What is it to you?" she eyed him beadily, skepticism upon her face.

"I always like to know if a girl is sane before I ask for her to be my partner. You know, because sanity is sort of a plus when doing projects like these." He winked.

"Wait. Are you asking if you can be my partner?" she sputtered incredulously. "Why?"

"Well, you see, it all started when Professor Aphidius gave us this bloody assignment . . . would you like me to continue?"

"Fast forward just a tad."

"I really didn't fancy doing all the work by myself while some girl stares at me in a stalker-ish manner and I noticed you didn't have a partner, so I figured that we could be partners."

"But we hardly know each other. We've been coldly civil since the day we met, seeing as how you hate one of my best friends and her feelings are mutual. So of all the girls, why would you bother asking me?"

"You're just like her, always suspicious of everyone. No wonder you two are friends." James chuckled. "I don't think we should be so distant. Just because Evans and I don't get along, doesn't mean _we_ shouldn't. It's not that way with me and Charlotte, so I don't see why it should be that way between me and you. Right?"

"Heh. I guess you're right. Okay. I accept, but I still think Lily's going to have a fit. But you better not make me do this alone."

"I won't, don't worry. As for Evans, well I'm sure she'll get over it. After intensely glaring at me and probably spending long hours muttering about what an egotistical git I am."

Kira and James burst out in laughter, finally melting the frozen wall of simply being casual acquaintances that they'd placed between themselves.

* * *

Their laughter rang through the greenhouse, capturing the attention of Lily Evans, who just happened to be hiding behind a particularly large potted plant.

Her eyes grew wide as she saw them both smiling, joking around like old friends. It wasn't that she was jealous. She knew Kira's interest was certainly not in _that_particular Marauder. And it wouldn't matter, even if she _was_ interested in Potter. She didn't care about Potter and was certainly not jealous of anyone associated with him.

It was the fact that Potter had rejected all those girls who desperate to be paired up with him. He used to choose the prettiest girl of the lot, being the hormone-driven member of the male species that he was.

_Why didn't he choose one of them? It's not possible that he could've changed_, she thought. _Is it? _

She shifted her attention to the girls still fighting over the remaining Marauders, sneering at their pathetic antics.

"What kind of shallow, dim nitwit would waste time arguing with other ridiculously obsessive nitwits over the Marauders?" Lily scoffed, a look of pure repulsion on her face. "What's so special about them, anyway?"

"Everything, m'dear. Absolutely everything." a voice responded from behind her.

Lily spun around to see Sirius Black leaning casually against the wall, arms folded across his chest and a cocky smirk upon his face.

"I'm sure. So, what brings you to these parts? Shouldn't you be surrounding yourself with your adoring fans, all competing against each other for your precious attention?" she retorted scathingly, secretly glad that he had approached her.

After all, Derek had just discovered Lily's whereabouts and was about to pester her even more, before Sirius' intimidating appearance caused him to make a slight change of plans.

"See, Miss Evans. That is what's wrong with you. You're quite scatterbrained. You forget that I never like to do what is expected of me, and since you expect me to surround myself with those . . . eh hem . . . ladies . . . I obviously can't do that, now can I? So the only logical thing that I could possibly do is what is not expected of me and come have a nice little chat with you." He explained, stormy gray eyes twinkling mischievously.

"You're mind seems to be utterly exhausting. I marvel at how you can possibly live with such a confounding thought process."

"Ah, that's the beauty of it. It is the simple fact that I _am_ Sirius Black. But we'll get into that later. As I was saying, since what I do is always unforeseen and shocking, I'd say the most bewildering thing I could possibly do at the moment would be to request that you become my partner for this damned . . . I mean, _lovely_ project. So how about it?"

"Why not?" she shrugged nonchalantly. "It won't be dull, that's for sure. I accept your offer."

"Marvelous, oh fair one. We'll shake on it."

He extended his hand, which she gladly shook, smiling broadly. She couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, considering the fact that _many_ pairs of eyes were glaring jealously at her.

With Sirius' ever-present comedic skills to distract her, thoughts of James Potter possibly being a more decent person than she had previously believed had once again been pushed to the far reaches of her mind.

**He**; however, was a completely different story. Though his attention was captured by Kira's lively tales and flagrant sense of humor, the green tints hidden beneath the calm hazel hues of his eyes simply _refused_ to disappear as he caught tiny glimpses of her laughing figure.

* * *


	12. Taking a Second Glance

**

* * *

**

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Taking a Second Glance**

_Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better. **-- **_William Shakespeare

* * *

"I can't believe you agreed to work with him." Lily pouted between bites of dessert.

"He's honestly not that bad, Lily. I took pity on him! He would've ended up with some clingy 'fan' who was too prissy and high-maintenance to help with this assignment." Kira protested, poking her pudding with a fork. "And not even James Potter deserves _that_."

"Showing pity shows weakness." Lily shrugged pompously, taking a large gulp of pumpkin juice.

Kira frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but was promptly cut off by Charlotte's voice.

"Didn't you say you were going to try to find the good in him?" Charlotte pointed out. "You keep saying that, but you haven't done acted on it. You're so inconsistent, Lily. Saying you're going to try and be nice, but doing the exact opposite."

"B-but, this is James Potter! Potter the cocky, irresponsible, prat!" Lily insisted indignantly.

"So?" Charlotte retorted, sighing and massaging her temple. "You know, sometimes I don't know what's worse. James' cockiness and pranking or _your_ broken promises and fickleness."

Lily froze. Charlotte, the one friend who always seemed to be neutral and unbiased, had just told her, straight out, what a complete twit she was being. It was a shock, being told off by Charlotte, of all people. She took a moment to glance over at the Hufflepuff table, where Zeno was seated among his friends.

_They're right_, she told herself. _They're all right. I did it again. Just like I said I wouldn't. I did it again. I forgot about my promise. _

_I watched him, honestly, I did. He didn't do anything wrong. And yet, I still talk about him as if he's been pranking people left and right. As if he's been a selfish, uncaring, irresponsible person . . . but he hasn't. _

"I've got to go. I'll talk to you later at rehearsal." She murmured, a spaced look clouding her eyes.

Charlotte and Kira stared at each other, shrugging as they watched Lily disappear through the doors of the Great Hall.

* * *

She ran a hand through her hair, forgetting for a moment of a certain annoying Gryffindor who did the exact same thing. The same annoying Gryffindor that had been circling inside her mind since the beginning of year.

_I am officially insane_, she thought. _I'm thinking about Potter, wondering if he's actually changed, or if this is just another phase of his, feeling horribly guilty for hating him so much. If that isn't grounds for insanity, I don't know what is. _

Lily leaned against a wall and sunk to the ground, hugging her knees close. She needed to think, to sort everything out. She was behind a large gargoyle-like statue, so no one would bother her.

_Alone_, she decided. _That's what I need to be. Alone. _

"C'mon, kid. Just push her around a bit, make her scared and I'll come along as her knight in shining armor. You won't have to do a thing. My charm will do the rest." A voice resounded through the deserted hallway.

"I don't want to. My brother may hate her, the Marauders, and all Gryffindors in general, but **I** don't. She's not that bad." A younger voice retorted stubbornly.

Lily, irritated by the broken silence, poked her head over the statue to see Derek Harrison and a young Slytherin speaking quietly nearby. She recognized the Slytherin to be the younger brother of one of her fellow 7th years who absolutely detested the thought of having her, a muggle-born, as Head Girl. Being the curious person that she was, she remained silent behind the stone.

"I'll pay you 15 sickles, then. How about that? Just get Lily Evans a little shaken up. Nothing big. Intimidate her a bit." Derek coaxed, offering him a jingling sack of coins.

"You idiot. I told you I wasn't going to do it. She's not all that helpless, you know. I'm only in 5th year and from what I've seen her do to Potter with that wand of hers, I don't fancy getting the same treatment. And _he_ was a Gryffindor. I can't imagine what she'd do to a Slytherin, especially one whose brother has given her some less than fond memories of Hogwarts."

"You're a wimpy kid who doesn't deserve to be a Slytherin, let alone McGrath's younger brother. I'll teach you to listen to your elders. If you were scared of what Lily Evans could do to you, you have no idea what you're in for." He angrily hissed, whipping out his wand and pointing it at the boy.

Lily growled, eyes narrowing and hand clamped tight around her wand. She rose to confront Derek and show him exactly what she was capable of, but someone else had gotten to the two first.

"Let him go." James ordered, hands tucked away in the pocket of his robes.

"He's a Slytherin. I'd think you'd be happy that I'm teaching him a lesson." Derek shrugged, pocketing his wand.

"So? He may be a Slytherin and brother to a complete bastard, but you are treading on dangerous territory by threatening him."

"Oh really. Dangerous territory with whom? Who would defend him? His slimy Slytherin friends? His brother? HA! No one cares about this worm."

"Dangerous territory with _me_. That's who. And that's who'll defend him." James brandished his wand, twirling around his fingers. "So now that I'm here, the real question is . . . do you have the guts to take me on?"

Derek gulped, sweat droplets clinging to his forehead under James' commanding gaze.

"Or perhaps the question is, do you have the common sense to accept the detention and 25 points I'm taking from Ravenclaw and leave while you can?"

"Whatever." Derek muttered angrily, turning his back to James and uttering a string of curse words.

James arched one eyebrow in his direction before motioning for the other boy to leave. The boy sent him a grateful glance and walked off, leaving the two older boys in an ominous silence.

"Don't you think 25 points is a bit much?" Derek inquired, hoping for James' pity. "I didn't _actually_ curse him, you know."

"You were trying to get him to hurt Evans so you could save her and trick her into thinking you're a decent guy. I can't let you do that to her." He spat. "So that's 10 points for threatening him with a wand, 10 points for malicious intentions, and 5 points because you're an arse and frankly, you bug me."

Lily became immediately immobile the moment her name slipped from James' lips. Who'd have thought that James Potter would actually give a damn about what happened to her?

"I thought you hated Lily Evans. You sure act lik—" he stopped short, a smirk passing across his face. "Oh, I see now. Looks like the mighty James Potter finally reveals his soft spot. You finally fell for the one girl who hates you and can't stand to be near you. This is amusing."

"Shut it. I have no soft spots. We may hate each other, but she shouldn't have to be deceived into liking you and spending time with you until she realizes what a bastard you are. _No one_ needs that." James' face hardened, the carefree, humorous side of him completely wiped away. "The truth is, Harrison, you're not good enough for her."

"Who is, then? You? She can't stand the sight of you." He sneered.

"Doesn't matter. That's _my_ business. Do yourself a favor and stay away from Lily Evans." James warned curtly, cutting Derek short.

He returned his hands to his robes' pockets and walked off, leaving Derek cursing under his breath once more and Lily in complete and total shock.

_H-he stood up . . . for me. He . . . protected me? NO_, she said to herself. _It can't be. There must be some mistake. _

Lily hugged her knees closer to her body, staring at the detailed tiling of the floors. She couldn't help but wonder if Potter was _always_ like that.

If he just acted selfish and cocky in front of her and the majority of the students at Hogwarts, while being self-less and caring when people really needed him . . . If he had always defended her or been on her side, just not whenever she, herself, was around . . .

_Why? Why did he have to end up being so . . . nice? _

She wanted to believe that it was an act. She wanted to be right about Potter. She wanted . . . to know. Wanted to know how he could possibly take all her insults without once bringing up the selfless things that his friends always claimed he did.

_Why couldn't he just have been an arrogant, self-obsessed jerk? Life would be so much simpler if he was. _

* * *

"Just wondering, but have you noticed that Lily's been acting a bit strangely lately?" Kira whispered to Remus, leaning closer to do so, while her eyes were still fixed on the people rehearsing their scene.

Remus turned his head to face her at the exact same moment that she had turned her head to face him. She could feel heat radiating off her cheeks at their proximity.

He nodded slowly, silently catching Sirius' attention and motioning for him to join them.

"You summoned?" Sirius whispered, bowing extravagantly.

"Lily. She's been acting rather odd, right? James as well." Remus noted, stretching his long legs. "Or am I mistaken?"

"They're becoming closer. That's why. They're beginning to realize their undeniable love for one another." Sirius declared loudly, getting him a menacing glare from Professor Harris and the other cast members who were watching the rehearsal scene.

"Are we all talking about the same two people?" Kira muttered, cautious in keeping her volume below normal. "Lily Evans and James Potter, right?"

"She's right. They're both intensely stubborn, not to mention they both have deadly tempers. Do you really think that they'll be developing feelings anymore friendly than tolerance or respect, anytime soon?" Remus concurred, a gentle smile upon his face as Kira grinned happily at him for taking her side.

"Keh. You're just saying that because _she's_ here." Sirius retorted, folding his arms across his chest. "You wait and see. They'll end up together and then you'll all have to admit that I, Sirius Black, am an almighty love god."

"Wha—" Kira and Remus blurted out in unison, before being cut off by a loud growl from behind them.

The pivoted on the spot, only to meet the fierce stare of Professor Harris.

"WILL YOU THREE PLEASE ACT MATURELY AND PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR FELLOW ACTORS?" she bellowed, fire in her eyes.

They nodded, gulping and glancing nervously at each other. She sure was scary when she was mad, that's for sure.

In the clearing towards the front of the Great Hall, Zeno and James snickered, distracted from their scene.

Lily stood off to the side, observing the three troublemakers suspiciously and preparing for her entrance as Juliet. Their first rehearsal without the scripts and Lily could already feel Shakespeare's words twisting in her mouth.

"_So smile the heavens upon this holy act, that after hours with sorrow chide us not!"_ Zeno quoted, his voice shaky.

James shot him an encouraging look, which didn't go unnoticed by Lily. Her head pounded, a wave of shame washing over her. She couldn't stand watching him encourage Zeno to be more confident. Lily refused to admit that he'd changed and she wasn't giving in without a fight.

Luckily, she didn't have to. James moved across the stage, turning his back towards her. Her lips formed a relieved smile and she exhaled. Good.

"_Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can, it cannot countervail the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight . . ." _he recited, shifting his head just a bit to glance at Lily for one second.

She didn't notice, but what else was new?

"_Do thou but close our hands with holy words, then love-devouring death do what he dare; it is enough I may but call her mine._"

She hadn't noticed the inconspicuous glance that James had sent her, but she _had _noticed the confidence and poise with which he presented Shakespeare's words. He seemed to fit Romeo perfectly. Rash, overjoyed, fallen for some pretty girl he'd just met. She began to realize how well he matched Romeo.

Not to mention how confident he performed. She never thought that James Potter, of all people, would actually memorize his lines. He knew them, she could tell. He knew them through and through, delivering each word with such conviction and assurance.

He was facing Zeno; Potter's back turned towards Lily, while Zeno seemed to face her. Good. Looking at Potter would only make her think about him more. She didn't want that at all. She would much rather let her mind wander to insignificant things than think about James Potter and the confusion that he brought to her life.

Lily leaned casually against the wall of the Great Hall. Her eyes traveled around the room as the Professor whispered at Zeno to recite his lines.

"Oh . . . _t-these violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume: the sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness and . . ." _he stopped, racking his brain for the rest of the words.

Professor Harris looked irked, recalling how she had clearly told the main characters that they had to have memorized their lines up to this point by now.

Lily looked upon her young friend's face sympathetically. Zeno glanced in her direction. She gave him an encouraging smile, but was confused to discover that it was not her that he was glancing at, but James.

She tilted her head slightly, making sure not to get caught staring at Potter's back.

"_and in the taste confounds the appetite," _James whispered so only the three of them could hear. "_Therefore, love moderately . . ." _

"_. . . a-and in the taste confounds the appetite: therefore love moderately; long love doth so; too swift arrives as tardy as too slow." _Zeno delivered, regaining confidence.

Lily entered onto the stage, her knees shaking. _Don't mess up_, she told herself.

"_Here comes the lady: O, so light a foot will ne'er wear out the everlasting flint: a lover may bestride the gossamer that idles in the wanton summer air, and yet not fall; so light is vanity._" The young Hufflepuff grinned, sensing that her nerves were beginning to take effect.

James, playing the part of Romeo of course, grabbed a hold of her hand and awkwardly wrapped his arm around her waist. Despite this somewhat intimate position they appeared to be in, James was unusually cold, refusing to even notice her. She frowned, stealing glances at him from the corner of her eye.

That was Zeno's line that he had been whispering just a minute ago. Was it actually true that JamesPotter, of all people, also knew someone else's lines in order to help them? It couldn't be.

She couldn't help but wonder what his motivation could possibly be. She knew how difficult it must have been to have the part as Romeo, seeing as how she had an equally challenging part. But to offer assistance to someone without getting anything important in return? She could barely comprehend the thought.

"Miss Evans! Can you not remember your line?" Professor Harris exclaimed, groaning. "I _thought_ I told you lot that I expected you to memorize up to this point!"

Lily blushed a deep red, bowing apologetically.

"S-sorry. I've memorized them, honestly. _Good even to my ghostly confessor._" She said, her voice both rushed and clearly embarrassed.

"Smooth one, Evans." He leaned closer to her and chuckled.

"Shut it! You're a jerk, Potter." she hissed loudly, glaring at him warningly.

"Miss Evans! Would you please stop talking to Mr. Potter and concentrate on the play? There'll be plenty of time for you two to flirt or get closer or whatever you young people do, **later**." The Professor growled, ignoring the noisy giggles from the rest of the cast.

Heat radiated from her face. She could see James smirking and stared at the ground in order to avoid his taunting eyes. That was embarrassing. She hated being made a fool of.

_I'll just have to ignore Potter, _she told herself. _He always seems to be able to make me look like a mindless idiot in front of everyone. _

"_Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both." _Zeno stared at her, eyes laughing sympathetically at the discomfort she must be feeling.

"_As much to him, else is his thanks too much._" She reverted back into her composed character, though she took a second to stick her tongue out at James while the Professor wasn't looking.

"_Ah, Juliet, if the measure of thy joy be heap'd like mine and that thy skill be more to blazon it, then sweeten with thy breath this neighbor air, and let rich music's tongue unfold the imagined happiness that both receive in either by this dear encounter."_ James responded perfectly, eying Lily with a challenging grin.

"_Conceit, more rich in matter than in words, brags of his substance, not of ornament: they are but beggars that can count their worth; but my true love is grown to such excess that I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth." _she spoke flawlessly in return.

_How's that, Potter? I can be just as good as you,_ she seethed, still heated by Potter's ever-cocky attitude.

To her surprise, he nodded his head acknowledging and made the motion of clapping his hands together.

"That's enough for today. Wonderful work, Zeno. As for you two," she narrowed her eyes at James and Lily. "We need to have a little chat. Just the three of us."

The other students whispered to each other, watching the pair of them trudge behind the peeved professor.

"Oy, Evans." James murmured, tilting his head slightly closer to hers. "What do you think she's going to talk to us about?"

_Calm down, Lily. Don't blow up at him, _she warned herself. _Don't let him take control of your temper. Just breathe. Calm. _

"Who knows. She could lecture us about just about everything." Lily whispered back, making sure to stay out of Professor Harris' hearing range.

"Well, at least we're in it together." he flashed Lily his trademark grin. "So if she starts going psycho nutcase on me, you've got my back, right?"

_That's reassuring. We're in it together, _she thought. _Potter and I. _

She nodded her head and shot him a tiny smile, continuing to follow the professor to her office.

"Please, take a seat." Professor Harris motioned to two uncomfortable looking wooden chairs.

James and Lily glanced warily at each other and hastily sat down. The worn look on Harris' face was enough to make them submissive, ending, even if only for a brief moment, their bickering and mutual irritation with each other.

"I'm pleased that you two have _both_ taken the initiative to memorize your lines up to this point and I expect you to continue to do so. There's much more to remember, so I think it would be advantageous to everyone if you practiced outside of rehearsal with each other and the other cast members." She informed them curtly, taking a long sip of chamomile tea.

Lily exhaled, fingers crossed and hands behind her back.

_Please let that be all_, she thought.

"The other thing I wanted to talk to two about was . . . well, I know it's difficult, considering the argumentative history between the two of you . . . but this play _is_ a tragic love story."

_And? And? AND? _

Lily fidgeted nervously with her tie, twisting it with her shaky hands. James noticed this and gently prodded her side, motioning for her to calm down.

_She really does need a break_, he thought to himself. _Evans seems far too overworked and tense. The girl needs some serious loosening up. _

But he didn't care if Evans was under stress. Not at all. Because he didn't care about her. Period.

"You are both wonderful actors. I know that. That's one of the reasons why I chose you for the part you were given. The other reason, the main reason, is the way you interacted with each other during the audition."

Both Lily and James had begun to turn into beets, staring fixedly at the floor.

_How embarrassing_, Lily groaned, wishing that the Professor could've left that part out. _Nothing special happened at the audition. Between me and Potter? Nothing special has ever or will ever happen. _

"So, I need you to seriously take the roles of Romeo and Juliet! You're supposed to be in love, yet the pair of you are always awkward or glaring daggers at each other onstage when Romeo and Juliet are supposed to be interacting. It's out of character and I trust that you'll find a way to fix it." She clearly hinted.

"How do you expect us to accomplish something like that, Professor? I mean, Evans and I _have_ been putting our mutual dislike aside during rehearsals, as much as possible, that is. I don't see how we could possibly do anything differently . . ." James persisted, grumpily tapping his foot upon the leg of his chair.

"So become closer _outside_ of the play. Speak on friendly terms with each other when it's not time to rehearse. It's up to you to decide. I don't think I need to stress the fact that the success of this production is basically on your shoulders. I trust that you are both mature enough to see that. You may be excused."

Lily and James hastily rose to their feet and stalked out of the room, leaving the Professor to leaf through her Muggle book titled How to Deal with Today's Youth.

"That old bat. _The success of this production is basically on your shoulders_." James grunted, proceeding to mimic the professor in a girlish tone. "Honestly."

"Why are you getting so worked up over this, Potter?" Lily inquired curiously, increasing her pace just to keep up with James. "She just asked us to try and get along. It's no different than what everyone else has been saying."

"Maybe I'm just tired of hearing it, over and over. It just seems like everyone is pushing us together. _Work together, you two. Don't fight. Get along._" He blurted out loudly, repeating what he'd heard so very often. "It's bothersome. It's not like we've been at each other's throats lately. We've been civil, haven't we? People are just never satisfied, that's the problem."

She nodded, avoiding James' eyes as they headed towards the Ancient Runes classroom for a Prefects meeting.

"Furthermore, that loony professor is piling up more unnecessary stress and weight upon our shoulders . . . frankly, it's overwhelming and driving me bloody mad with worry. Being Quidditch Captain, Head Boy, Romeo, not to mention a student with a jam-packed schedule of N.E.W.T classes, it's beginning to get to me. I've never had to handle this much before. I never really expected it to be this hectic." He sighed, reverting back to his relaxed self and declaring a silent end to his lengthy rant.

"Welcome to my world, Potter." Lily stated simply, a grin tugging at her lips. "Feel free to request advice from a long time resident of Crazy-land. I know all the tricks."

"Very pleased to meet you." He greeted mockingly, enthusiastically shaking her hand. "Any chance of escaping this so called Crazy-land?"

"Not that I've discovered. No chance in hell." She chuckled cynically.

"Not yet, that is. I'll find a way to escape this chaos. Mark my words, Evans. I, James Harold Potter, will most definitely flee this horrid place I've been condemned to." He declared, holding his fist up towards the ceiling. "No worries, though. I'll be sure to release you from this stress-filled environment as well."

The corners of her lips formed a hint of a smile as a determined look made its way onto James' face.

_If only it was that simple to get away from it all_, she thought dreamily.

* * *


	13. Benefits of Curiousity

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* * *

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Benefits of Curiosity**

_You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.  
_-- Henry Drummond

* * *

James tiredly pounded his forehead against book-strewn table, groaning and wondering why he had willingly opted to take so many N.E.W.T classes in the first place.

_I was an arrogant, cocky 6th year with ambitions of becoming a top Auror with the mere swish of my wand_, he thought, chuckling at his own foolishness. _That's why_

He studied the page in front of him, massaging his aching temples and struggling to comprehend the complexity of Arithmacy. The next major exam was simply a few weeks away and he had already managed to fall behind, what with Quidditch practices draining his energy and the play taking up all his spare time . . . not to mention assignments in his other classes. And the paper was due the next day, bright and early.

He barely had time to relax with his friends. It reached the extent to where the Marauders were beginning to worry about their old buddy Prongs.

_Why is it so hard all of the sudden? I used to be able to breeze through these classes . . . no studying involved. What am I supposed to do, now that everything is so much more difficult, even for me? _

He pushed against the desk with his hands, the chair sliding back on the wooden floor. James stretched his taut muscles and removed his glasses, blearily rubbing his weary eyes.

He returned the glasses to the edge of his nose and flopped down upon his unmade sheets. Casually pushing the connecting rim further up the bridge of his nose with his middle finger, he uttered another frustrated groan.

_James, as you know, this will be your last year at Hogwarts. And probably your toughest as well. You can't keep rejecting help from everyone, believing that you can do everything yourself. Learn a bit of humility, James. Who knows, maybe you'll discover that you're not the only one crazy enough to push yourself to the limit like this. Perhaps you'll discover that some people have more in common with you than you think. _

His mother had told him that just before he'd gotten aboard the train. _Learn a bit of humility._ He was humble – sort of.

So _what_ if he boasted about his natural good looks and athletic abilities? He was James Potter, one of the infamous Marauders, Head Boy of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. He was entitled to bragging rights . . . wasn't he?

His brow furrowed, recalling the numerous times Evans had reprimanded him for being such an egotistical person. He just brushed it off in the past, convincing himself that it didn't matter what shethought.

Furthermore, he'd spent the last 6 years at Hogwarts acting as if he didn't really need anyone's help.

And now he was paying for it. What could he do, now that he had to admit that he didn't know everything? What would he do, now that he had to admit to requiring a bit of assistance in an area where his own cleverness was of no help to him?

He grabbed a nearby pillow and flung it across the room, frustration etched across his handsome features. For once in his life, James Potter had no one to turn to.

The rest of the Marauders? They weren't even taking Arithmacy, claiming that the work was far too tedious and monotonous; the class, a complete waste of Marauder creativity and time.

James glanced at the small clock sitting upon his dresser. 11:04. He contemplated searching for the Arithmacy professor and begging for a bit of help, but decided against it. The old professor always called it a day earlier than everyone else.

_Useless old coot_, he thought, grumpily.

James racked his brain for possible options. He could use the invisibility cloak to sneak into the library, but even that would be no use, seeing as how he wouldn't comprehend the complexities of Hogwart's Arithmacy volumes anyway.

"Damn it! Why isn't there anyone in this bloody castle who is awake and actually understands this crap?" he muttered, teeth clenched angrily.

He paused his self-pitying and whining as he heard a faint tune through the wall, floating in through the cracks of the door and the worn wallpaper.

Being the curious and somewhat nosy person that he was, James grabbed hold of the door's handle and followed the weak sound.

He stopped abruptly at the entrance of a room across the hall, a gold plaque with the words "Head Girl" gracefully carved in elegant script. Evans.

EVANS! It was Evans' room directly down the hall from his. It was Evans who was in his N.E.W.Ts Arithmacy class. It was Evans who was awake at this ungodly hour. It was Evans who could help him.

_Damn Evans_, he pouted, stubbornly folding his arms across his bare chest. _Just figures that she would be the only one who could help me. She's probably the one who would refuse before I even got to ask_.

James turned, refusing to stoop so low as to ask the girl who detested his guts for help. Knowing her, she would scoff and spit out some witty comment at him, then order him to leave her sight. He would not subject himself to such embarrassing treatment. Never.

He could, of course, pretend to talk to her for some other reason and casually bring up Arithmacy homework. He could pretend as if he was just wondering if she understood it. He would never let her know that he was completely lost, that the textbook was written in some strange language that he would never be able to decipher by himself.

That was his plan. It was a brilliant plan. Evans would be tricked into helping him without even knowing it herself. He refused to give her the satisfaction of knowing that **he** needed her.

He rapped on the door with his knuckles. Nothing. Once again, curiosity took hold of him. He gingerly turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Her room was oddly tidy, aside from the cluttered desk she was seated at. It seemed as though sleep had gotten the better of her. Her record was still playing softly in the background, lulling her into a tranquil sleep.

James admitted to himself, she was certainly pleasant to look at – especially when she wasn't growling at him all the time. Not that she had been, recently. They'd barely butted heads in the past few days. For some strange reason, he had felt someone watching him, but every time he turned to see who it was, Evans was there, occupying herself with the Charms textbook or studying the contents of her cauldron.

He knocked on the frame of the doorway once more. Sighing, he entered, figuring that Evans was far too deep in sleep to even notice his presence. He glanced over her shoulder, recognizing Lily's notes on McGonagall's lesson on the table.

Suddenly, he heard a tired groan and saw a slight twitch of her lip. A hint of fear passed across his face as he prepared to spring away from her. Too late.

"PERVERT! Get out! Out! What the hell, Potter? You sick pervert! OUT!" she screamed, her eyes bulging with surprise and shock.

Grabbing a pillow off her bed, Lily proceeded to beat him, sending the pillow crashing upon his head. James fell to the floor, struggling to calm her down, while cowardly covering his head with his arms at the same time.

"Stop! Evans! For god's sake, STOP!" he bellowed, wincing at each smack of the pillow.

"W-why are you in my room?" she huffed, fingers clenched tightly on the pillowcase as she caught a glance of the clock. "A quarter past 11, of all times."

"Well, erm . . . I was taking a break from studying and heard some music. I fancied a listen and noticed you had fallen asleep studying. I ended up wondering what you had fallen asleep studying. Then you woke up and began flogging me with your pillow. And, well, here we are." He responded, running a hand through his hair and grinning embarrassingly.

She narrowed her eyes, not quite believing him. She trudged over to the record player and turned it off, watching him like a hawk.

"So, why are you here, really? I can't believe you thought I'd fall for that "_I fancied a listen_" crap." She scoffed, eyes twinkling mockingly.

"Haha. Very funny. I should've known better. Well, to tell you the truth . . ." he stumbled, not sure where to begin. "I need help with Arithmacy."

_There goes my pride_, James thought.

"Go on . . ."

"And I figured since you're the only one besides me and a few other students, who are taking the N.E.W.Ts Arithmacy course . . . just maybe you'd find it in your heart to lend a hand. Or a brain, whichever you prefer."

Lily giggled quietly, not realizing that it was James Potter who had caused her to giggle. It surprised the both of them.

"Fine, but you owe me, Potter." She agreed hesitantly.

He grinned, nodding.

"Well? Go get your Arithmacy stuff then! I don't want to waste time." She dictated, pointing to his room.

Grinning apologetically, he slowly backed out of the room as she shook her head.

* * *

She sat upon her neatly made bed, both dazed and drowsy. Closing her eyes, Lily replayed what had just happened in her head.

She had been pouring through her Transfiguration notes, trying to grasp a tiny bit of McGonagall's elaborate lesson. The next thing she felt was a warm tingling breath, tickling the soft flesh of her cheek.

And there was James Potter.

For a moment, Lily couldn't decide whether or not it was some sort of strange manifestation of bad pudding or if for some twisted reason, the fates had sent Potter to wake her from such a peaceful slumber.

He was there, doing god knows what. It seemed as if he was watching her sleep, something that only a few people – such as her mother and father – had a right to do.

It was only natural for her to scream!

It took quite a while for her to soak in and return to her somewhat normal sanity level. She tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but for some strange reason, she couldn't.

Though she was a tad bit distracted from what he was saying to really grasp what he was saying, she got the gist of it. He was asking for help. Something she never imagined he would EVER do. She hardly believed it.

_He asked me for help_, she recalled, scratching her head with pure confusion. _Who'd have thought? _

The Almighty Potter, asking her for help. Now that wasn't something one saw everyday. He was always prancing around school, clearly sending the message to the world thatJames Potter needed no one. He didn't need permission from the librarian to go into the restricted section, didn't need anyone telling him how to ride a broom, and didn't need people imposing restrictions and boundaries on _his_ life.

And yet here he was, desperate for help. She smirked, glad to hear that the great Potter, who never seemed to care about schoolwork and certainly didn't put extra effort into learning course material, finally realized that he couldn't just slip by.

Perhaps if she helped him . . . it could be construed as penance for believing him to be a complete prat and having so little faith in his decency. It would certainly clear her conscience, at least a bit. She nodded determinedly.

_I'll do it. I'll help Potter and I won't remember any of the times he's been a complete jerk. I won't hold a grudge and I'll try hard to be civil towards him, no matter howhe may act, _she told herself firmly.

Lily rose from the bed and tore off the woolen robe, rummaging through her belongings for something more comfortable. She grabbed a worn Muggle university sweatshirt and slipped it over her head, just as James reentered the room.

"Ooh. Sorry!" he apologized, fixing his eyes upon the carpeting.

"Oh. It's fine." She muttered nonchalantly, plopping down upon her bed. "Well? Have a seat, Potter!"

"Right. I was about to do that." He nodded, setting his books down upon the floor as he took a seat on Lily's swiveling chair.

"So, what exactly don't you understand?" she asked, after a brief pause of silence.

"Erm . . . just about everything after the first few chapters."

She groaned, sending him a weak smile and messily tying up her hair with a rubber-band. A few strands of crimson came loose, framing the smooth lines of her face. She reached over to grab her Arithmacy book and opened it, studying the text outline. James watched her quietly, discretely studying her movements. Sighing, she looked back up at him and nodded encouragingly.

"Let's get started then, shall we?"

* * *

"Loads of thanks, Evans. I think I just might do decently on next week's examination." He grinned confidently, closing the weighty text and leaning back in the chair.

"Right. Well, you should, seeing as how we've spent practically 2 hours re-covering the material that the Professor lectured about in class." She muttered, stretching her legs and cradling the back of her head with her arms. "I've got a lot of work to do, Potter, so if there's nothing else you need . . ."

"But there is!" he exclaimed frantically, sitting up suddenly.

"What?"

"Erm . . . I need to pay you back, for helping me. So, what exactly do you need to work on?" he inquired, once again returning to his normal relaxed state.

"Transfiguration." She grumbled, striding across the room to grab her notes.

"Excellent. That, I can do." He replied happily, his face a broad smile.

She grinned weakly in response, inwardly cursing herself for requiring his assistance. She was supposed to be helping him, not the other way around.

Little did she know, James was the exact same way and neither of them was about to let the other outdo them. James refused to burden Lily without doing something in return, just as Lily refused to ask him for help without providing help herself.

They were two of a kind – two stubborn kids who refused be outdone.

* * *

"We're done . . . finally." Lily announced, tossing James her quill and stretching her full body length on the floor.

Somewhere amidst their grueling studying, Lily had ended up sprawled across the floor, papers and books scattered around her. A tornado had hit her room and James found himself wondering if this was what Lily had referred to as her permanent residence in crazy-land.

He caught the quill Lily had hurled at him with a look a slight amusement gracing his face as he stared down at her from the raised position of his seat.

Her lips were curved gracefully in a faint smile, her eyelids fluttering shut as she breathed deeply, her chest rising and falling in accordance.

James reached over to grab his belongings and began to inch out of the room, taking Lily's silence as sheer exhaustion. He paused, wondering if he should at least pick her up off the floor. With her slim figure, it shouldn't be too hard for him, considering the strength he had built up through intense Quidditch training.

He set his books down upon the floor and knelt close to her still body. She looked so peaceful, it was almost a shame to move her and risk pulling her out of her slumber. Then again, it might've been worse to have just left her on the floor. He moved closer towards her, his arms in position to pick her up . . .

"You know what, Potter?" she sat up suddenly, a contemplative expression on her face.

He leaped back, increasing the distance between them. If Evans ever caught him that close to her . . . who knows what she would've thought. He got smacked by Evans once that night and wasn't keen on reliving the past.

"Huh?" he sputtered, exhaling with relief.

"I'm not tired. Usually, I am, but for some strange reason, I can't fall asleep." She piped up, beaming innocently. "What about you?"

"Oh . . . erm . . . actually, you're right. I'm not really all that sleepy." He ran a hand through his hair, grinning embarrassingly.

For a moment, there was silence. Neither of them knew what to say to the other and both were far too proud to simply blurt out a random comment that could possibly make them look foolish.

The stillness was broken by a loud rumble from Lily's stomach, followed by a snort on James' part and a mortifying half-giggle from Lily.

"Hungry?" he guffawed, failing to contain his laughter.

"Humph. You'd be too if you left dinner early and was deprived of any other types of food for the rest of the night." She pouted, a smile escaping from the corner of her lips.

"Let's go, then." He declared suddenly, as if a brilliant idea had just been formulated in his head.

James stood up, brushed off his pants and grabbed her wrist in excitement.

"G-go? Go where? NOW?" she sputtered incredulously from her position on the floor, eyes staring at James' grasp on her wrist. "Are you mad?"

"Some may say so. I prefer mentally unbalanced." He grinned his infamous Cheshire cat grin.

She scowled, wrenching her arm away from James and standing on her own. Once she was standing fully upright on her own, she placed her weight upon one foot with her hands rested defiantly upon her hips, surveying him carefully.

"C'mon, Evans! You, me, and an unlimited supply of food." He proposed, apparently seeing Lily's tentativeness as an exhilarating challenge. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

"Well, yes . . . but, it's against school regulations. We're Head Boy and Girl! We can't go around wandering around Hogwarts in the middle of the night!" she protested, trying not to show her true desire to give in.

"What kind of Heads would we be if we suffered from lack of food and keeled over tomorrow during Charms?" he inquired, gesturing dramatically. "Poor Professor Flitwick would have to stop teaching the class, just to levitate us to the Hospital Wing."

"Fine, but _only_ because I'm absolutely famished." She added, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of having won her over.

"Whatever floats your boat, Evans." He shrugged, smirking with absolute confidence.

He dashed into his room and rummaged through his cluttered trunk, pulling out a airy semi-transparent cloak.

_I hope it's wise to show Evans this. I'm not quite sure if I can trust her yet. It's not like we've had the greatest history. But still, for some strange reason, I can't help but want to trust and show her_, he thought, slipping into the hallway where Lily was impatiently waiting.

"What took so long, Potter?" she inquired, tapping her foot anxiously.

"You don't want to be caught, do you?" he snapped back as the two climbed out of the portrait hole and into the main hallway.

"What kind of half-wit question is that?" she exclaimed, irritably. "Of course I don't want to get caught! I'm Hea—"

She stopped short, glancing around warily as she noticed that she appeared quite alone in the dark hallway. Shadows of menacing suits of armor stretched across the floor as the flame upon the candlesticks flickered with a slight breeze. James was no where to be seen.

"Potter? Potter!" she whispered, a hint of fear in her wavering voice. "I swear, Potter . . ."

"Shhh! Don't worry, Evans. I'm not going to abandon you." He reassured her, suddenly emerging before her very eyes. "Let's get going. Under here!"

He motioned to the invisibility cloak, which Lily simply gawked at until James pushed her under somewhat roughly.

"W-where did you get this?" she stuttered, shifting her feet alongside James. "And by the way, where exactly do you intend to retrieve this food you promised me?"

"The cloak was a family heirloom and we're headed for the kitchens, of course. Where else would we get food?" he replied promptly, as if it was the most obvious of all answers.

"Riiight. As if you would know where the kitchens are. Dumbledore has never shown me, so I doubt he'd have any reason to show you."

"Ah, my dear, that is where you make your great analysis error. Dumbledore doesn't have to tell me everything. In fact, I'd even be so bold as to say that Dumbledore probably couldn't tell me everything there is to know about this school."

"What are you going on about? You expect me to believe that you know more about this building than the Headmaster himself? You are insane."

"Yes, I expect you to believe me. And yes, I have made it quite clear that my mental condition is quite twisted. Just think about it. We Marauders are infamous for knowing every nook and cranny of Hogwarts and using it to our full advantage at any and all times possible. It's no rumor, Evans. We live up to our name through and through."

"Fine, fine, fine. By all means, continue to lead on, oh great one." She gestured, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Or our secret excursion might just be ruined by the earthquake-like rumbling of my starved stomach. It's quite hard to control, you know. Suppressing its ruckus isn't easy and if we don't hurry up and feed it, I can't make any promises that it won't get us caught. So, let's quicken the pace, shall we?"

"Do you do this often, Evans?" he grumbled, one eyebrow arched over the other.

"Huh? Do what?"

"Randomly babble on and on to whoever will listen?"

"No. I'm only this way around my friends. My friends and the people that I feel the insatiable need to irritate, that is."

"Huh. Figures." He muttered, while the two of them floated down the moving staircase.

James' hands were placed lightly on Lily's shoulders, their varying heights making it easy for him to guide her movements. Occasionally, he would bend down closer to her ear and whisper soft commands such as '_left at this suit of armor' _or '_watch out for that trick step.'_

"I hope you know where you're going, Potter. I don't really fancy getting lost in this place in the dead of night." Lily warned, beginning to wonder if James actually knew where the kitchens were located.

She'd never heard of a student ever discovering the location of Hogwarts' kitchens, let alone being in them. Then again, it would seem to make sense, seeing as how the four of them were constantly knee deep in food, while at the same time, being well-known for having a scant amount of pocket-change. She could recall the countless times they had entered the bustling Gryffindor common room after a Quidditch victory, loaded with practically every party snack one could possibly dream of having.

_Odd_, she thought. _I never even thought twice about where they'd gotten it all. _

A soft whoosh of cloth broke her train of thought. She looked around, immediately noticing that James had tucked away the Invisibility cloak deep within his robes.

"M'dear Evans, we have arrived." He announced, gesturing to the large portrait of a fruit bowl. "The comforts of house-elf service and vast selection of delectable morsels is at the tip of your fingers."

She looked to where he was gesturing, blinked, and looked back at him.

"Is this some kind of twisted joke? It's a portrait, Potter. Not actual food." She pointed out, clearly suffering from lack of sustenance and unable to think.

"Oh ye of little faith. It's all at the tip of your fingers." He advised mysteriously, grabbing her hand and holding it up to the portrait, while she eyed him curiously. "Tickle the pear and perhaps you won't think I'm so loony."

Lily shrugged. What did she have to lose? No one was watching, except James of course. But he didn't count.

With a slight wiggle of her finger, the pear began to giggle and the portrait creaked open, revealing a lighted passageway into the hidden and often sought after, but never found (or so she thought) kitchens of Hogwarts.

* * *


	14. Breaking the Surface

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Breaking the Surface**

_You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. _-- Barbara DeAngelis

* * *

"Mister Potter, Sir! So nice of Mister Potter, sir, to visit us! It has been such a long while since Mister Potter has come!" a squeaky house elf greeted, fiddling with his Hogwarts crest.

"I know, Nobb. I've been really busy lately. But, I brought a friend this time." He pointed out, gesturing to Lily, who was straggling behind in the outskirts of the kitchen.

"Oy Evans! What are you doing all the way back here?" he chuckled at her lack of temerity. "They're house elves, not goblins."

"Yes, Miss does not need to be afraid. Nobb shall get Miss anything of her heart's desire. Any friend of Mister Potter is a friend of ours." The house elves chorused in unison.

"Well, thank you very much!" she grinned nervously, though she continued to stand rooted to the spot.

Seeing that Lily was not intending to do _anything_ anytime soon, James whispered a short request for food in the ear of a rather plump house elf. In an instant, a dozen house elves appeared, carrying an assortment of foods ranging from smoked ham to bottles of butterbeer to figgy pudding.

"Potter! I can't eat all this!" Lily exclaimed, gawking at the display of delectable edibles in front of her.

"I know. That's why I'm here." He explained as he began to gather heaps of food onto his bare plate.

James licked sauce off his lips and looked up from his platter across the table at Lily. She had spooned small portions of food onto her dish, leaving quite a bit of the white porcelain in sight. Unlike James, she seemed to be eating slowly and steadily, occasionally taking a small sip of butterbeer and wiping her mouth courteously with a napkin.

"Evans. There's really no need to impress me with your polite manners." he frowned, watching as Lily took another small bite of ham.

"I'm not! Please, don't flatter yourself." She snuffed, turning herself away from James, just in case her face decided to betray her by turning the least bit red.

"It seems as if you are to me." James retorted, smirking at the familiarity of their usual teasing games.

"You're the most infuriating person I've ever met in my entire life!" she screeched, slamming down her utensils on the table with indignation.

"I'm well aware of that. In fact, that's the reason why everyone adores me so." He remarked, putting on an air of haughtiness and pomposity. "How could anyone not love me? I'm the essence of lovability, the epitome of perfection, the –"

"Shut it already."

And with that, she began stabbing vigorously at her food, shoving it into her mouth and emphasizing her chews as to prove to James that she was dead set against being polite for _his_ sake.

Just to make it perfectly clear, she swallowed a massive mouthful and grinned exaggeratedly at James, who chuckled amusedly in return and continued to eat.

For quite some time, both of them did nothing but eat excessively, occasionally looking up at the other and smiling slightly.

* * *

Lily leaned back in her seat, her genteel mannerisms completely evaporated in the kitchen's atmosphere. James too was seated in a somewhat uncivilized position, the table of food practically cleared in front of him.

"Job well done, Evans. Didn't think you had it in you." He credited, waving his arm about lazily.

"Well I proved youwrong, didn't I, Potter! Hurrah for me!" Lily hiccupped taking another swig of butterbeer. "Hurrah hurrah!"

"I think that's enough butterbeer for you. You're getting just a smidge loonier than usual." He strutted over to Lily and attempted to grab the bottle out of her clutches.

"No! I'm not finished yet!" she wailed, glaring at him viciously, letting the butterbeer slip into James' hands.

He smirked cockily and swirled the remaining liquid around in the bottle and tipped his head up, letting the last drops slide into his mouth. Lily watched tetchily as her scant amount of butterbeer disappeared into James' stomach.

"C'mon. It's late and we've both got class tomorrow." He snickered, motioning for her to follow him.

"Right away, Sir." She mocked, saluting him and ducking under his arm into the warmth of his Invisibility cloak.

They tiptoed silently through Hogwarts in companionable silence.

Once they had entered the tower, James whipped off the cloak and tucked it under his arm.

"Hey James, thanks for taking me to the kitchens. I really appreciate it." She thanked him gratuitously.

"No problem. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Lily Evans nearly emptied the kitchen." He chortled, slapping her heartily on the arm. "Wait until the guys hear about this. Sirius will be devastated at the thought that you could rival him in nasty eating habits."

With the mention of Sirius' name, Lily froze her smile diminishing.

"Wait, Potter. You can't just go around telling people about this." She insisted, her tone almost pleading.

"Okay . . . how about just the Marauders. They'd love to hear about the rude, crude, boorish side of the perfect Head Girl."

"No! Please . . . can't we just keep this between us two?"

He frowned, folding his arms across his chest and staring down at Lily, who refused to make eye contact and instead had her eye fixated on the carpeting.

"I get it, Evans. I really was too naïve to think that you would actually want to make peace with me. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling that you're not willing to tell anyone because you're ashamed." the tone of his voice grew harsher, increasing in volume. "Be honest! You, the very embodiment of perfection at Hogwarts, can not _possibly_ let people know that you associate with an irresponsible troublemaker such as myself – the opposite of everything you have worked so hard to exemplify."

"NO! I mean . . . yes! No, I mean . . . you don't understand, Potter!" she insisted, shaking her head fervently.

"Oh, I understand perfectly. I'm not an idiot, you know. You said you wanted to make peace with me, but really, you don't care whether or not we're at peace, just as long as we're not fighting and I'll agree to cooperate with you without making a fuss."

"Well, its better than fighting and being mortified because we're Heads and we still haven't been able to resolve our differences. Isn't it better that we pretend to be friends so we can just get the year over with and never have to deal with each other again?"

"No, Evans! It's not! I don't like having fake friends. In fact, I have less respect for people who pretend to be friends with me than my enemies!" he spat, his fists balled and his face twisted with disappointment and anger.

"Well, that's just absurd . . . you're impossible to deal with." She responded weakly, not knowing what else she could possibly say to refute him because in fact, everything he said was right.

"You know, Evans, I really thought we could get along this year. I was actually looking forward to settling this whole argumentative relationship we've harbored for the past 6 years, but I guess I was being to optimistic." He chuckled cynically. "If you ever want to _really_ be friends, you know where to find me."

With that, he stalked off into his own room, leaving Lily and her guilt in the darkened hallway.

* * *

The Great Hall bustled with the sounds of chattering students and the aroma of breakfast wafting through the air.

Lily clapped her hands to her face, rubbing it slightly; well aware of the unhealthy bags forming underneath her eyes. Those bags were a direct result of her lack of sleep. No matter how she tried, his words continued to replay in her mind, a broken record that she couldn't rid herself of.

She stood at the entrance in a dazed stupor until she saw a flashing hand in front of her face.

"Oh, hello." Lily addressed her friend, lacking greatly in enthusiasm.

"You're not looking so great, Lily. You should really think about getting some more rest." Charlotte advised, smiling encouragingly.

"Yeah, I know. Hey Char, where's Kira?" Lily asked curiously.

"I'm not quite sure. She mentioned something about settling a dispute with Remus and then dashed off." Charlotte shrugged.

Lily scanned the hall for the Marauders and sure enough, there Kira happened to be, seated next to Remus Lupin. For a second, she surveyed them with interest.

She had to admit jealousy. There was no other way to describe it. Kira and Remus, as much as they both attempted to deny it, were extremely close.

And it made Lily greatly envious.

She could only hope to have such a relationship where personal flaws were willingly exposed. But alas, such a friendship was unattainable for Lily Evans, the girl who simply would not put herself on the cutting board for everyone to slice away at her blemishes until there was nothing left of her.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Charlotte asked, deeply concerned by the contemplative look on her friend's face. "I have to go talk to my Herbology partner, but if you want, I can stay here with you . . ."

"Yes, I'm fine, really." Lily responded quickly, assuring Charlotte that she was perfectly normal and pretending as if nothing was on her mind, which was, of course, an utter lie. "Go ahead."

Charlotte thanked her with a short nod and meandered over to the Ravenclaw table.

She wasn't particularly hungry and everyone seemed to be distracted by something or someone else, leaving her feeling somewhat left out and abandoned. So she remained standing and experienced a sudden wave of resentment for the seemingly carefree students who were able to achieve the sort of balanced happiness that continued to elude her.

"Remus Lupin, you _must _be joking. There is absolutely no evidence to support that people prefer chocolate frogs to sugar quills." Kira insisted huffily.

"What does practically everyone have collected in a drawer somewhere? Wizard cards. Where does one obtain these cards? From Chocolate Frogs, that's where. Face it; people buy more chocolate frogs than sugar quills. It's a fact." He responded wittily, attention rapt in their heated debate. "Everyone knows it."

"Well, everyone is _wrong_. You can eat sugar quills in class without getting them confiscated, which is what would happen with chocolate frogs. Plus, I'm almost positive that sugar quills promote greater use of ones brain."

"Is that so? State your information source, please."

"Erm . . . I . . . I mean, the _source_ wishes to remain anonymous."

"How can I be sure that this source is legitimate? You can't always trust anonymous sources, you know."

"Oh, well, you can trust this one. Trust me."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it." He chuckled, grinning broadly.

She smiled as well, giggling softly. While observing their banter, Lily couldn't help but smile as well. Everything about the Marauders was so utterly appealing. Just the way they lived. Clearly Kira had no problem entering their carefree world. Lily, on the other hand, resisted with every fiber of her being.

Her eyes moved to where Sirius and James were being their usual selves by eating endless trays of breakfast and acting foolish. They carried on mocking Remus and Kira by fluttering their eyelashes numerous times and blowing kisses to each other. Lily thought it was highly amusing, though she stubbornly pursed her lips.

Soon after, Sirius, having the attention span of a gnat, had taken to arguing with Remus and insisting that he had _not_ been making fun of anyone – especially not Remus. James expertly avoided the confrontation and was feeling rather smug because of it. His eyes twinkled mischievously and he let out a great laugh, the cheeriness radiating from him.

After the events that had taken place the previous night, her whole perception of James had changed.

Before, what he said was absolutely correct. She never intended to become true friends with him. It would've all been so much simpler if they had just continued being civil acquaintances until the end of the school year.

But after that incident, she truthfully _did_ want to settle all her problems with him and come to some sort of resolution. A real friendship with James – any of the Marauders, in fact – proved to be quite a challenge for Lily. Entering their world terrified her.

She, who was so focused on pleasing everyone, who was so frightened of spontaneity, couldn't imagine willing exposing her numerous faults, which was basically what being with the Marauders was.

Their life was so careless and unlike hers.

It was a step that Lily was _not_ willing to take, no matter how much her heart wanted to. Her wishes had little say in what her mind thought was best.

But perhaps it was time for a change.

She'd been living her entire life, shadowed by her own fear of failure. Who knew what spontaneity would do to her life. For the better, for the worse, Lily _wanted_ to know.

It was such a silly thing to harp over and yet, there she was, standing blankly in the huge doorway of the Great Hall, wishing she was brave enough to make mistakes and disappoint people and do unexpected things and let go of all regret and _live_.

And so, exhaling deeply and blinking nervously, she decided.

It was time for her to stop thinking so much.

* * *


	15. A Serving of Clarity

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* * *

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**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait**

* * *

**Chapter 15: A Serving of Clarity**

_I love you not only for who you are, but for what you are when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but what you are making of me. _

-- Roy Croft

* * *

While Lily had been weighing her situation, standing aloof near the entrance of the Great Hall, life went on as normal as it usually did for the rest of Hogwarts – the Marauders included.

Sirius had grown bored of arguing with Remus and instead directed his attention to searching for the bowl of marmalade to spread on his eighth piece of toast. Remus had begun another conversation with Kira about how he and Sirius had met and the reasons – if there were any – for Sirius' . . . uniqueness. James averted his attention to Miles, his Gryffindor Quidditch subordinate, and was coldly refusing to cancel practice on account of an excessive amount of homework.

"If the ancient Egyptians stopped building the pyramids because they got a load of homework, who do you _think_ would have created all those mummy curses?" James proposed in defense. "And the world simply wouldn't be the same without those curses, you know."

Though he truly did sympathize with the young boy's ordeal, he _was_ Captain and if he could juggle the play, an arm-full of N.E.W.T classes, and Head duties on top of Quidditch while still maintaining a half-conscious state of mind, a bit of exhaustion wouldn't kill his teammates. At least, he hoped not.

"The ancient Egyptians didn't _have_ homework, Captain!" Miles squealed in response. "But if they had as much as we do, plus the stress of extra Quidditch practice, I'm sure there wouldn't _be_ any ancient Egyptians to speak of now."

"Bollocks. They would have dealt with it . . . just like you're going to do." He nudged the boy along. "Off you go, my boy. Food is getting cold."

"Alright then, if your mind's made up . . . see you at practice! I'll be the one exhausted from staying up all night finishing the desk-load of work I have."

"Have fun doing that." James smirked, almost admiring the kid's audacity. "Oy, you won't be complaining once we win the House Cup, will you?"

Miles glanced back at James just as those words left his mouth. He shook his head laughingly, a smile donning his dark features. For someone who claimed to be facing such hardship and stress, he seemed quite content. Perhaps he had achieved peace of mind, perhaps he had sorted out his priorities, or perhaps that was the effect James Potter had over people. Just perhaps.

"My, James Potter, you handled that quite well." Kira applauded, looking upon him with reverence. "Just like a good Captain would have handled it. You're maturing quite nicely."

"What are you babbling about? I just wanted to eat. My food really is getting cold." James grinned, downing his flask of pumpkin juice. "You're as loony as your friend Evans is. Loony, the whole lot of you."

Kira muttered something about James being a stupid git and rolled her eyes as she watched him prepare to dig into his breakfast.

"Kira! Moony! You _have_ to help me!" Sirius demanded urgently, his eyes darting around the table. "I've searched everywhere, but there just isn't anymore left in all of Gryffindor."

"What? What are you talking about?" Remus inquired quickly, believing it to be some sort of emergency.

This – of course – was a miscalculation on his part, considering the fact that it was Sirius Black and even the slightest thing could be taken as an emergency. In this case, food took the place of utmost importance for Sirius and nothing could stand in his way.

"The Marmalade!" he sobbed, clutching his dried piece of bare toast in his right hand and the spreading knife in his left. "It's g-g-gone!"

"Oh goodness, Sirius, can't you just eat it with butter or something?" Kira grunted.

"NO! I can't function normally without it. Come on, we're going on a mission." He announced, taking a proud stance, one leg propped up on the bench and his head held high. "We'll form a marmalade-retrieval squad."

"Normally? Does he ever really function normally?" Kira whispered to Remus while Sirius was lost in his own heroic daydream.

"It depends on your definition of normal, really." He replied knowledgably, eyes twinkling playfully.

"Are you listening, troops? Let's go! There has to be some marmalade left in this school . . . maybe we can nick it from the Slytherins. They'd never notice. Those grotty whelps couldn't possibly be able to appreciate such exquisite dining anyway." Sirius schemed, grabbing Remus by the back of his cloak and dragging him off, Kira following the pair while shaking her head in amusement.

James actually _was_ famished and so, with a few quick scoops, he had gathered onto his plate, an array of breakfast items, all which appeared exceptionally delicious.

It always astounded him how efficiently the House Elves prepared everything, catering to the whim of every Hogwarts inhabitant. It couldn't have been _that_ long ago that they went on a secret rendezvous to the kitchens, nearly emptying out their stocks. But James did not want to think about Lily Evans. She simply complicated things with her puzzling thought process and _that_ was something he did not wish to deal with.

Sadly, every time he glanced down at the singed edge of his bacon or peered into his flask of pumpkin juice, all that came to mind was Lily Evans. Lily Evans, Lily Evans, Lily Evans. She was so unbelievably complex and mind-boggling.

Not to mention, she was completely destroying the entire sanctity of his morning eating ritual by – intentionally or not – spoiling his appetite. The nerve of that girl.

It just so happened that in the next minute, that very girl had gathered herself and holding her head high, marched over to his practically deserted section of the table (mostly due to Sirius' marmalade crisis) and plopped herself down upon the bench.

To everyone's surprise, right next to James Potter.

Being absorbed within his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed. Hadn't noticed until that pretty, polite red-head stacked a heavy collection of food onto her pallet and sloppily poured an orange sticky liquid into her empty flask. She clutched her utensils in hand, slightly shaking and breathing heavily.

James cocked his head to the left to meet her eyes. With a quick snuff, she dove in, spooning the contents of her plate into her maw, the portions barely fitting on her spoon. Occasionally, a stray bread crumb would cling onto the outskirts of her lip, but she paid no mind.

In fact, all Lily was doing was staring at James, who stared right back, his lips threatening to form a small grin. She swallowed and gulped down the pumpkin juice to ease the passage of food down her throat.

All there was to do was wait and see just how clever of a person James Potter really was. She had taken the dreaded step into spontaneity and climbed the first rung on the ladder that had haunted her for so long.

Within that brief moment, with those few direct actions, she had sent her message to Hogwarts.

She had sent her message to _him_.

James, the implication having been received with total clarity, responded in perfect fashion, just as she had. And as he shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth, his eyes continued to lock with Lily's.

Lily, she was smiling. James, he was smiling. They were smiling. Next to each other, smiling in absolute understanding and unison.

It was quite a sight to see.

"Oy mate, look over there." Sirius nudged Remus' side sharply with his elbow and whispered.

"Where?" Remus grumbled, slightly miffed that Sirius had dragged him across the hallway and all three of them were hiding behind a great stone column closest to the Slytherin table.

"I knew I shouldn't have stared at the sun for so long when I was a child. People always told me it would ruin my eyesight, but did I believe them? NO. Stupid, stupid Sirius." He rambled on, closing his eyes and massaging them vigorously. "Now I'm seeing things. I swear, I thought I saw . . . but that's preposterous."

"Is that Lily? Wow, she usually doesn't eat like that in public, with James Potter of all people!" Kira whispered incredulously.

"You see it to? Did you stare at the sun too long as well?" Sirius gaped at Kira, who rolled her eyes and motioned for Remus to explain.

"Well, it is a bit contradictory to her usual façade, but she's been acting differently lately, so it's not _that_ surprising." Remus admitted, shrugging.

"Now _this_ is creepy. All THREE of us have damaged eyesight from looking directly at the sun. It's amazing that we've found each other. We should start some sort of visually impaired club. Like the three musketeers, except . . . not." He proposed excitedly, leaving the remaining two shaking with laughter.

"You're an idiot, Padfoot. Your vision isn't bad. Your mental health might be a different story, but your vision is fine." Remus assured him.

"B-but that was Lily Evans," He exclaimed, pausing to steal the plate of a nearby Slytherin boy and wolf down a syrup-soaked pancake. "Piling all that food onto her plate and shoveling loads of food into her mouth; she was acting like a completely barbaric pig!"

"Puh. You're one to talk." Kira sneered, roughly smacking his head, waving goodbye to Remus, and walking off. "I resign from this marmalade mission. See you both in class."

"What the hell is she talking about?" he mumbled confusedly, unaware of the trails of sticky syrup dripping from the corners of his mouth and the crumbs littering his face and the front of his robes. "I am _not_ a pig."

Remus burst into laughter, slapping the wall hysterically, while Sirius, being especially slow and unobservant in the mornings, demanded to know what was so funny, the urgent quest for marmalade suddenly vanishing from his mind.

* * *


	16. Duties and Decisions

**AN:** Yes, I am still here! I am still alive and kicking, thank you very much. I am quite overwhelmed by all the response I've gotten, even despite my lack of updating. It's quite a rush to get a review for a story you haven't updated for ages.

For people who **asked me to review** their stories: I'm so sorry. I read your stories. Really, I did. For some reason, though, my computer doesn't do anything when I hit the "review" button. Technology really loathes me. But I'm sorry I couldn't review. I feel pretty terrible.

Anyway, I went back and edited a lot, partially because song lyrics are frowned upon now and partially because I really don't like some parts of this story. Anyway, I am dreadfully sorry that I haven't updated in so long! School will be out soon and I promise you that I will try to finish most of this story during the **summer**. This chapter is really long. I made sure to make up for lost time! I hope you enjoy it!

Side note: I dedicate this chapter to: **ilk girl** on livejournal who actually read my babbling and made me smile – loads of thanks for that. Smiling is always good.

* * *

**Playing the Part**

**By: Shrk-bait  
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**Chapter 16: Duties and Decisions**

_Love works in miracles every day: such as weakening the strong, and strengthening the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favoring the passions, destroying reason, and in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy. _-- Marguerite de Valois

* * *

"Alright, as you all know, Capulet's ball is quite a difficult scene to set up, what with all the dancers, decorations, and extras. So we'll focus on that today." Professor Harris yelled over the sea of gabbling students. "Where are my Romeo and Juliet?" 

"Right here, Professor." Lily piped up, waving slightly with her hand from her seat on the floor.

She hoisted herself up from the tile and situated herself on the bench next to James, who blinked multiple times and whose mouth hung slightly open, still in awe of their newly developed friendship-sort of relationship.

"You two need to go to Madame Malkin in Hogsmeade to get your costumes fitted. She has sample costumes, so to cut down prices she's graciously allowing us to use her designs to create them ourselves. So I need your sizes and a sketch of each. Don't miss tomorrow's rehearsal. It's important. Besides that, you're both excused to go to Hogsmeade." Professor Harris briskly gave her commands and then hobbled over to the set conjurors.

"Well, then, Evans. Shall we go?" James grinned, extending his arm out for her to take it.

Lily glanced down at it suspiciously, contemplating whether or not to loop her arm around his. Just as she moved to do just that, a Ravenclaw prefect burst into the Great Hall, out of breath and terribly distraught.

"James, Lily! Moaning Myrtle's gone insane. Something about first years breaking into her bathroom stall and teasing her. We tried to console her, but it looks like she'll flood Hogwarts at the rate she's going." He panted.

"Well, m'dear, it looks like we've got poltergeist potty problems." He joked, nudging Lily slightly in the ribs.

She arched her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by James' pathetic show of alliteration.

"I suppose costumes can wait. After all, a flooded Hogwarts doesn't seem quite the right setting for Romeo and Juliet."

They scurried off to the bathrooms, following the howls of Moaning Myrtle, whose name was indeed quite fitting at such a time.

* * *

"Myrtle, my love, what seems to be the problem?" James cooed, following Lily's actions and charming his shoes to repel the water bursting out of the broken toilets. 

"J-James? Oh, you actually came to visit! It's been ages since I've seen you! It was horrible, James! Those nasty kids were simply awful to me! But you're here now!" Myrtle giggled, floating through the stall door with a silly grin upon her face. "So I'm alright."

She stopped, scowling at the sight of Lily inspecting the malfunctioning plumbing.

"Who's she? Why'd you bring her?" Myrtle spat out, eyeing Lily viciously.

"Oh yes, Lily. . . Evans: Head Girl."

"Humph. Doesn't look all that impressive to me. I suppose she's smart. And I suppose she's decent looking. And there is that very minor detail: she's living. But besides all that, she's not that great." Myrtle muttered, swooping back into the plumbing.

Lily frowned, not fully comprehending exactly why Myrtle seemed to dislike her. James, on the other hand, was immersed in a fit of laughter. Not knowing the reason why Myrtle was so upset, combined with not knowing the reason why James was laughing, caused Lily to frown even harder.

"Oy Potter, what's so funny?" Lily questioned, whipping out her wand. "Stop fooling around! I'm going to stop all this water. Figure out how to calm Myrtle down, will you? She's clearly mental."

"Yes, Master." James scoffed while Lily ventured further into the bathroom stall.

A squeaky cackle and the water pressure increased, followed by a groan of disgust. James bolted over, only to see Lily trudge out of the stall dripping wet in toilet water.

"Myrtle, if you weren't dead, I would kill you. You realize that, right?"

"Lily, dear, don't be a poor sport. Now why don't you run along and leave us be?" she suggested, not bothering to hide the maliciousness in her voice.

"Potter! Do something!" Lily whined, drying herself with a simple spell.

James sauntered over to her, slinging his arm around her shoulders. Myrtle seethed angrily.

"You fixed the water, didn't you? You're dry, aren't you?"

"You think I give a damn whether or not I'm dry? I've been spewed with toilet water."

"Right, point taken." He crinkled his nose and leaped away from her.

Lily scowled, swatting at a chuckling James. When that effort went to waste, she kicked up the water on the floor with a swift fling of her foot. It was the ideal water-fight situation. Odd smelling water up to their ankles, but ideal nonetheless.

"Bloody hell, Evans, what a way to spread the love." He grinned, the water dripping off his face.

She was laughing maniacally, stumbling backwards onto an especially slippery part of the bathroom. Lily Evans was not one to defy the laws of gravity and thus with a thud, she fell, her drying spells gone to complete waste.

"That was graceful, Evans. Swan-like, almost." James guffawed, extending his hand to help her up.

"Oh my dear James, revenge is sweet." She giggled creepily, grabbing his arm and wrenching him down next to her on the floor.

It was a sight to see, the two Head students drenched in toilet water on the floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, laughing their heads off.

"You could've at least told me you had a girl." Myrtle pouted, floating grumpily above the sink.

"I have a girl?" James asked between laughs, hoisting himself off the dirtied ground and lifting Lily along with him. "How come I didn't know this?"

"Don't taunt me. I don't appreciate it at all. I suppose you two look somewhat decent together, but I hope you still come and visit me. Otherwise I'll be offended."

"Oh Myrtle, you don't think that he… and I… oh no, we most certainly aren't." Lily interjected, blushing furiously and brushing James' hand off her arm. "He's all yours."

"Really?" Myrtle looked incredibly hopeful, fluttering her eyelashes in an obviously flirty manner.

"Erm… we've got to run, Myrtle. Loads of Head student work to do. Bye!" James said quickly.

He grabbed Lily's hand and dragged her out of the bathroom, water sloshing as they departed.

"So Potter, what was that all about? Are you into seducing weepy ghosts now?"

"Oh damn. You weren't supposed to find out, but since you seem to have already figured it out, Professor Harris and I have been secretly planning to replace you in the role of Juliet with Myrtle. I'm terribly sorry, love."

"I'm deeply hurt, but I suppose it's for the best. Who wants to play Juliet to your Romeo anyway?"

Lily snuffed jokingly, pulling her hand out of James' and folding her arms across her chest.

"Speaking of Romeo and Juliet, weren't we supposed to go to Hogsmeade for costume fitting today? It's a bit late for that and I've still got that Potions essay to write."

Lily slapped her forehead violently. There were not enough hours in a day.

"What are we going to do, Potter? Oh gosh… how are we going to get any of this done? Professor Harris is going to kill us and I've got to do my potions essay too! Damn, damn, damn…" Lily muttered, nervously wringing her necktie and pacing back and forth.

"Calm down. We'll do the potions assignment together, and then figure out what to do about the play, alright? Don't worry, Evans. You'll never get anything done that way." He assured her, stopping her violent pacing by holding her shoulders in place.

"Oh really? Watch me. Not worry… honestly. You are far too naïve, Potter. Ah, but I have no time to discuss your trivial naivety issues. Let's just get this essay done." She pouted, dragging him off to the library, a worried look plastered upon her face.

Anxiety made her oblivious to the slight upward curve of James' lips as they walked, side by side, to the dusty bookroom.

* * *

"Hm . . . how should I end this? I can't possibly think of anything else to say about this damned potion." Lily grunted, her head pressed against her left hand, while the other scratched the desk's surface with the tip of a quill. 

"Write: despite its potential flaws and the significant extent to which different variables can tweak the outcome, the scintillation solution is nevertheless one of the most impressive magical developments of this century." He suggested, mussing up his hair and extending his legs further away from him.

After staring at him curiously (but briefly) and scribbling down his words, Lily lifted her hands into the air and folded them slowly behind her head. Eyes flitting shut, she missed the fond glances sent her way.

"Erm . . . I hate to tell you this, but we have a slight problem." James pointed out tentatively. "Harris said we must have the costume designs chosen by tomorrow. And it is currently an hour past midnight."

"Bugger, bugger, bugger. We're stuck. There's nothing we can do, so I suppose we'll just have to face the consequences."

"Unless we . . . forget it." James paused, hiding his grin. "You won't do it anyway."

"What? Tell me."

"Oh, it was nothing. Bringing it up is useless anyway. We're Head Students, we can't possibly."

"Just tell me, Potter."

"No, you won't want to."

"You don't know that. Tell me before I hurt you for wasting my time."

"Fine! You see, there's a passageway leading to Hogsmeade that's real quick. And I know for a fact that Madame Malkin's always has a spare key to the back hidden above the doorframe. So, if we wanted to, we could slip into the store, pick the costumes, slip out, and be back here in time for breakfast."

She stared blankly at him, her lips parted slightly, unmoving.

"You see, Evans, I knew you wouldn't want to, so let's just get some rest."

Standing up, he gathered the potion volumes and crinkled rolls of parchment scattered about the table. Just as he reached to put away his quill, a hand touched his arm.

"Alright. Let's go."

There was no other way to describe it, other than complete and utter surprise. Lily Evans, one who had been so vehement about responsibility and rules, had agreed to go on a nocturnal escapade, knowing fully well that they would probably break more rules than she ever had in her entire life.

And yet she agreed. Reverse psychology did wonders.

* * *

Damp packed dirt surrounding her, pitch black darkness ahead, Lily could do nothing but stop. Sneaking off for a midnight snack was acceptable, but this was absurd. 

Stakes were high, risks were many, courage was slim, even for a Gryffindor such as herself.

"I quit. I'm going back. I'm not doing this, James." She spun around violently, ramming right into James' chest in an attempt to escape.

"Calm down."

"Not an option, I'm afraid. My heart is pounding like mad. I think I'm going to have a heart attack."

"Come on. It isn't too far. We'll be there in no time." He coaxed her, taking a few steps into the unpaved cave and tugging slightly at her arm.

"Oh goodness, I swear I'll regret this. I must've gone temporarily insane when I agreed to this. Do you _know_ what they do to those plagued with neurotic mental issues such a these? Ship them off to St. Mungo's, that's what. I'll be spouting arbitrary lines from _Romeo and Juliet_, while crazily ranting about passing our potions final. What a life that'll be." She rambled, staring at the floor as James led her through the tunnel, lit up only by his _lumos_.

"I've never seen you like this before. Is this how your mind actually works?"

"Of course, of course. I'm terribly rational academically, but I think that on a daily basis, it is my inner insanity that ultimately keeps me sane."

"Erm . . . right." He nodded, smiling gently at the unmasked lunacy of Lily Evans as she clung to his arm and blindly followed him through the passageway.

* * *

Despite Lily's constant persistence that some drunken wizard from across the street was going to _avada kedavra_ them for breaking into Madame Malkin's, she stepped through the door that James had creaked open. 

Air muggy and dark, James lit a few candles, lighting up the room and revealing the splendor of the store's extravagant robe collection.

"Well, I suppose we've made it. Best get started finding those costumes, eh? There's still that chance that someone will find us and send us to our graves before we've even had a chance to leave Hogwarts." She warned him, her eyes scanning the racks for any signs of Shakespearean attire.

"You're not the least bit excited that we've broken the rules and that we're here, alone without any supervision. We could dance around crazily, change the store's entire layout, mix up Madame Malkin's entire organizational system! And whether we choose to or not, the possibilities are here in front of us! You don't feel any rush at all?"

"Well, maybe a bit of a rush."

"Good." He grinned, absentmindedly sifting through a collection of hanging robes.

"Oy! I think I've found it! Right here!" she motioned for him, pulling out a dress and comparing it against herself.

"Which poor sap has to wear _that_?" he scoffed, pointing mockingly to the tights hanging on the rack of clothes that Madame Malkin had labeled "Romeo and Juliet."

"This poor sap." Lily barked, poking him hard on the flat of his forehead. He frowned, massaging his forehead lightly, almost certain that a bright pink spot had appeared because of Lily's poke.

"Surely, you jest."

"Potter, you can't avoid it. That's what the men wear in these sorts of productions."

"I won't. We'll be original. How about a nice pair of robes instead?"

"I doubt Romeo walks around in wizard garb, while Juliet dons one of these old English gowns."

She gestured to one of the dresses with the tag 'Juliet' attached to the hanger, a simple white frock that laced up in the back.

"That's alright. I'm sure Shakespeare could care less. In fact, I'm sure if he wasn't a muggle, he'd opt for Romeo to wear something more comfortable too."

"He would not. Just a few months ago, you had no idea who Shakespeare was. How can you possibly say what he would or would not prefer?"

"Haven't you heard, Evans? What's that bloody phrase again? Oh yes, _great minds think alike_."

"I don't care if you can explain the uncertainty principle or the theory of relativity, Potter. You're no Heisenberg and you're certainly no Einstein. But you know what? You're wearing those tights. It's tradition and I'll be damned if I let you wear robes while I'm suffocating in this infuriating thing." She fumed, holding her glowing wand tip up to a magnificent dress, this one complete with matching corset.

"What's that?" he asked, eyeing it curiously.

"A torture device." Bitterness saturated her voice.

"Oh, Juliet gets a torture device of her own." He grinned smugly, "Like these tights, you mean."

"Precisely–" Lily exclaimed vehemently before realizing what a trap she had gotten herself into. "Not!"

"Nice try, Evans, but you know as well as I do that these tights are absolute hell."

"So what if they are? We're actors; we can't be choosy. If this is what Harris wants, then it is our duty to give it to her, setting all personal feelings aside."

"I doubt she'd want me wiggling around, fidgeting with my tights while we're acting out the death scene. It wouldn't be natural – not that playing dead is really that natural anyway."

"I'm sure they're not as bad as you imagine them to be."

"I change my mind. I want to be Friar Lawrence. _He_ gets to wear comfortable monk attire, not to mention that spongy fat suit." He pouted as he eyed Zeno's costume with delight. "It's quite becoming, don't you think?"

Lily, who had tiredly plopped herself down onto a pile of cushions, looked up to see James Potter examining his figure in the mirror – his figure strapped to the stuffed apparatus.

Thumping her chest with her hand, Lily stopped herself from choking on the startling outflow of laughter.

"Potter, what _are_ you doing?" she gasped for air.

"Hm . . . terribly comfortable, actually. Quite cozy, I'd say." He mused, stroking his chin and pretending as if Lily Evans wasn't shaking the cushions with her peculiar display of amusement.

"You look terrible obese." She chuckled once she regained some semblance of composure.

"Oh really? Well, prepare to face my wrath then!" his eyes glimmered mischievously as he plodded over to Lily and promptly sat on her.

"James! You . . . suffocating . . . stop! Juliet doesn't . . . die . . . this way! Gerroff!"

She struggled underneath the weight of a less-than-light Quidditch player donned in a fat monk's costume. What a situation to be in!

"Little Miss Juliet should learn how to hold her sharp tongue, otherwise she'll be smothered."

"Never! 'Tis sad, but true – a noble death for such a lovely Capulet."

"Lovely? Tell me not these lies! Juliet is far from lovely!" he exclaimed, raising his arms in true Shakespearean fashion, while still crushing Lily. "No, the mere vision of her face stings me, the effect upon my memory like that of bubotuber pus on human flesh."

"Wanker!" she cried, wiggling her arm free and somehow managing to move her flailing arms in the ideal position to deliver a sharp blow to James' nose.

His glasses were sent to the ground.

"OW! Bloody hell, Lily!" he recoiled, jumping up and massaging his nose with one hand, while blindly searching the floor for his spectacles with the other.

She found him quite charming, unable to see and frantically searching for what was right in front of him. It was strange to think of James, the cocky prat for the majority of her Hogwarts experience, as charming. He feigned anger at her ringing giggles.

"Lily . . . where are they? You realize that I can't see a bloody thing without them, right?"

"Of course, James m'dear. But I won't deny that your helplessness is humorous."

"Juliet is supposed to be feminine and loving, you know."

"Well, Romeo is supposed to be sensitive and passionate."

"Fine, truce then." He proposed having finally found his glasses and hastily put them on.

"Right, truce." She smiled.

And they resumed costume choosing, the air a bit lighter and their furtive smiles a bit bigger.

* * *

**AN:** I need a bit of guidance on **Green Eyes**. I know somewhere in the story, each main character will have his/her own little chapter thing and parts of the story will be told from different perspectives. I know I want to piece together their friendship throughout the story, instead of having just one person explain how it began (hence the reason for Lily's brief reference to it – some people told me it went by to "quick," but that's actually the way I wanted it to go). I'm just not sure if I should have all the separate monologue-ish things all at the beginning or if I should separate them. If you haven't read that story, then you're probably lost. But for those who have, please let me know how you think I should go about organizing it. 

As for **Playing the Part,** well, I'm not really too happy with this chapter. After rereading my story, I'm a bit irked at how much I've gotten off track. And I think my writing style is atrocious. Blah. But I'll continue and hopefully by the end of the story, it'll be decent and understandable. I think I prefer first-person narration. I'll come back and edit this chapter later. I just figured I should get it out since it's been ages since an update.

Oh. I have **2 weeks** until school ends. Then (hopefully), updating frenzy! Hurrah! I love summertime. It's reading and writing and relaxing for me this summer! Oh, and thank you so much for the reviews! **Please continue reviewing!** It only makes me happier.

(I have **SAT IIs** to take tomorrow. Ew.)


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